R.I.P. Tabitha

All of our pets come with their own stories to tell, and Tabitha was no exception. She was surrendered to a rescue group I co-founded almost 10 years ago, at the alleged age of eight. She had lived with a single guy for all of her eight years, I believe, and he was getting married to someone who was allergic, or didn't like cats, or some such crap, so he casually dropped her off at an adoption event one day and never looked back.

Tabitha had many quirks, such as hating other animals, not wanting to be touched, and eliminating outside of the litterbox. And, she most definitely exhibited what appeared to be a general disgust with men (probably because the only one she ever knew and loved abandoned her). Neal has never really met an animal that didn't like him, but dear old Tabitha proved to be quite the challenge. Even though she was declawed, she could throw a mean right hook at any person or animal that dared to cross her path. It was really comical to watch! The first few years after being surrendered to our group, Tabitha was adopted a few times and returned. Eventually, we ended up taking her into our home to foster her, and that is where she stayed for the last 6+ years.

Since she wasn't fond of other animals, especially other cats, she lived for many years in her own room, fully equipped with all the essentials a feline princess would need. Then one day, after we moved to Colorado, she abandoned her own room idea and ventured out into the rest of the house, even strolling out in the yard when it suited her fancy. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you might remember this video I posted about her half-blind self chasing a squirrel in our yard. As the years went by, she started to mellow and would tolerate more loving, even letting Neal pick her up for brief periods without taking his arm off! Her absolute favorite place to sleep, even in 90-degree weather, was by a space heater in our dining room. When jumping up on the furniture proved too difficult for her, we put cat beds on the floor around the space heater and that was where she laid her claim.

Eventually, she succumbed to kidney disease, blindness and weakened extremities, thought to be caused by blood clots (among a myriad of other old kitty ailments). Our vet was continually amazed at Tabitha's will to live and her vim and vigor, or piss and vinegar as some might say! However, today proved to be the day that she decided to give up her zest for life, and I accepted her wishes. She was a tough old gal, and not the type of pet many people would put up with for so many years. But, amid all the frustrations and inconveniences, she brought us joy and laughter and a deeper appreciation for life. Our vet agreed when she saw her that it was apparent she was tired and ready to go. As the pain medicine given prior to euthanasia started to take effect, she and I shared our last tender moments and she nudged my fingers with her chin. In the end, the cat with a lion's attitude turned into the gentle, loving kitten I knew was there all along.

Rest in peace, my sweet baby Tab.