Tucker Passes Away
More rough news! On the morning of Sunday, February 15th, 2015, Tucker died. He was my parents' ginger cat who lived to be around 18 years old. I was given Tucker as a Chrstmas gift in 1998 even though my parents knew I had asthma and was very allergic to cats. I guess at the time, my siblings all had pets and wanted me to have one too. I never truly bonded with the cat because I always kept my distance due to my health. Tucker knew who fed him-my mother-and bonded with her over the years to the point where Tucker would spend all his time with her in a tiny cat bed atop her office desk. When I finally moved out in 2011, Tucker stayed behind with my parents and it was resolute and understood that he was truly their cat. If anything, I was merely a godparent to the creature. Now that I think of it, I don't believe that cat spent a single night away from that house in the entire time we owned him. That was his house and that's where he belonged.
We got Tucker when he was almost a year old and was with an elderly woman who couldn't take care of him. In the seventeen years we had him, he was always a very independent, distant, and anti-social cat who was also easily spooked. He didn't seem to appreciate affection and rarely hung out with anyone. Even still, he was typically easy to approach and never clawed at people or hissed. He may have been skittish and cautious about everything but was also relatively mello when relaxed. This cat had just the most deep and stoic soul like his eyes could look into you and silently know everything. And now so suddenly, he's gone.
For years he's been a thin boney cat so we knew he was getting old. He ate like a pig right up until the evening before he died, so he never showed any signs of suffering through his golden years. For a few weeks now, he'd been having diarrhea problems and even after being on medications from the vet, it didn't seem to be getting better or worse. He still ate like everything was normal, so we figured it would be a passing thing. Saturday the 14th, Tucker seemed fine when my parents went to sleep. Sunday morning, they found him on a cat bed in a bathroom lying stretched out and limp on his back with his head drooping unnaturally to the side. Their first reaction was that he'd unexpectedly died overnight but he was still breathing normally and without labor. Tucker's eyes were open but glazed over and he didn't respond to anything. My folks took him to a pet hospital where everyone was in agreement that it was Tucker's time. A debilitating overnight stroke or seizure, possibly. My parents held the little animal while he was released of his Earthly bonds and they stayed with him for a time after. After his cremation, Tucker will be returned to us and burried in my parents' back yard alongside other cherished late pets.
He had a long life and a very quick death without much suffering. I'm very thankful for the fact that he didn't have a horrible disease that lingered for years before dying slowly. When my parents called me up to give me the news, my first reaction was one of relief. I was hopeful that the cat would find peace. It was a rough few moments on the phone with my dad. I've been breaking down so often lately with all these deaths in our family that it just seems like I haven't cried this much since I was a kid. Tucker was an amazing, unique, special cat and I believe he had a wonderful, long life. I believe he was happy and well cared for and although he may not have shown much affection in the normal way we think cats would, he was appreciative. He was a trusty fixture at my parents' house and it makes me smile to know that he'll be burried there too; forever to be within view from his old perch in the office window on the desk. Good night, my sweet Tucker. Rest now. I'm really gonna miss you...
We got Tucker when he was almost a year old and was with an elderly woman who couldn't take care of him. In the seventeen years we had him, he was always a very independent, distant, and anti-social cat who was also easily spooked. He didn't seem to appreciate affection and rarely hung out with anyone. Even still, he was typically easy to approach and never clawed at people or hissed. He may have been skittish and cautious about everything but was also relatively mello when relaxed. This cat had just the most deep and stoic soul like his eyes could look into you and silently know everything. And now so suddenly, he's gone.
For years he's been a thin boney cat so we knew he was getting old. He ate like a pig right up until the evening before he died, so he never showed any signs of suffering through his golden years. For a few weeks now, he'd been having diarrhea problems and even after being on medications from the vet, it didn't seem to be getting better or worse. He still ate like everything was normal, so we figured it would be a passing thing. Saturday the 14th, Tucker seemed fine when my parents went to sleep. Sunday morning, they found him on a cat bed in a bathroom lying stretched out and limp on his back with his head drooping unnaturally to the side. Their first reaction was that he'd unexpectedly died overnight but he was still breathing normally and without labor. Tucker's eyes were open but glazed over and he didn't respond to anything. My folks took him to a pet hospital where everyone was in agreement that it was Tucker's time. A debilitating overnight stroke or seizure, possibly. My parents held the little animal while he was released of his Earthly bonds and they stayed with him for a time after. After his cremation, Tucker will be returned to us and burried in my parents' back yard alongside other cherished late pets.
He had a long life and a very quick death without much suffering. I'm very thankful for the fact that he didn't have a horrible disease that lingered for years before dying slowly. When my parents called me up to give me the news, my first reaction was one of relief. I was hopeful that the cat would find peace. It was a rough few moments on the phone with my dad. I've been breaking down so often lately with all these deaths in our family that it just seems like I haven't cried this much since I was a kid. Tucker was an amazing, unique, special cat and I believe he had a wonderful, long life. I believe he was happy and well cared for and although he may not have shown much affection in the normal way we think cats would, he was appreciative. He was a trusty fixture at my parents' house and it makes me smile to know that he'll be burried there too; forever to be within view from his old perch in the office window on the desk. Good night, my sweet Tucker. Rest now. I'm really gonna miss you...
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