(This story is written for a child's point of view.)
Our
kitty is old now. Not sure how he got that way but before we knew it, he was
old. It is a good thing that you and I are not getting any older! Hoover is 19 years old. For a cat, that is pretty old, although
sometimes cats can live to be 25 years old.
One
day, many years ago, while out on a walk in the neighborhood, we passed a pet
shop where we saw him in the window. We went back to the pet shop two more
times and played with him to make sure he was the kitty we wanted. We paid
fifty dollars and took our kitty home.
He
is a “tabby.” His coat is gray and streaked with dark stripes. His fur is
thick, luxurious, and feels like velvet. His tail is ringed with circles of
black fur from his hind end to his tail end. His eyes are dark, circled with white and then
ringed with a black line. His nose is outlined with white, as is his muzzle. He
has a dark “M” on his gray forehead.
They
say that cats have three names. The one you give them, the one they pick, and
the one you’ll never know.
His
face is beautiful. That is one of his names, Sheyna Punim, which means
Beautiful Face in Yiddish. Hoover. That is his second name, the one we usually
call him. He wasn’t named after the president or after the vacuum cleaner. He
was named after the school nurse I worked with. Her name was Kitty Hoover. No
fooling! Probably her first name was Kathleen but we all called her Kitty. So
now I had a Kitty Hoover of my own! His third name, well…
When
Hoover was a little baby, he would sleep at the top of the bed between the two
pillows. Sometimes when we would take a nap together, he would put his paw in
mine and we would both doze off holding hands.
He
could chase his tail for hours, loved running after a ball with a bell in it,
and would stalk a toy mouse lurking under the sofa forever.
We
had a toy fish that was connected by a string to the end of a fishing pole.
Hoover loved to jump up and try to catch the fish. He could jump really high
into the air. He was really good at catching the fish.
As
he grew older, he decided that he wanted to be an outdoor cat. While he loved
being indoors with us, he preferred being outdoors with nature. He slept under
the bushes, strolled around the neighborhood, basked in the sun, and chased
birds, squirrels, and rabbits.
Sometimes
he caught a small animal and ate it for dinner. While that might sound yucky or
sad, it is what cats do when allowed. In fact, animals in the wild usually eat
smaller animals when they are hungry. That is just the way it is.
During
good weather, he would spend all day and all night outside. He would come home
when we whistled his special whistle. Sometimes he came home to stay for the
night, other times he came home just to eat some of his cat food and then would
go out again.
During
bad weather, he liked to go outside anyway. He would stay out for a while then
come to the door and announce in his loudest meow voice, “Let me in!” And one
of us would.
He
loved to hang out while you were working in the garden. He would lie in the sun
and watch you dig holes, fill the holes with plant food, put the flowers in
place. Sometimes he would help you dig!
When
you were sitting on a lawn chair eating your lunch or reading a book, he would
jump up and sit in your lap to keep you company.
Then
one day before we knew it, so it seemed, he was old. Now he spends most of his
time sleeping on the towel on the sofa in the living room. He doesn’t run as
fast anymore and walks up and down the stairs more slowly. We think his hips
hurt him.
He
started having eye problems and eventually became blind. This is also known as
“visually challenged.” We think he can see shadows and light or dark, but
either way, he has trouble seeing. He knew his way around the house before, so
he can still get around from memory and by feeling and smelling his way.
His
hearing got worse so he can’t hear us whistle his special whistle. When it is
time for him to come in, we have to go out to find and bring him into the
house. He meows to let us know he wants something but in a much louder voice,
because he cannot not hear himself. He is now almost totally deaf. This is also
known as “hearing impared.”
Unable
to see or hear, he has become an indoor cat. We have decided that it is not a
good idea to let him outside anymore. We think he is slowly getting used to the
change but he still goes to the door and announces that he wants to go out. He
meows really loudly, we are patient, and he eventually gives up.
Sometimes,
because he cannot hear or see, he sits in the middle of the room and yowls. We
think it is because he is not sure where he is or if anyone else is around.
When you go up to pet him he gets startled because you took him by surprise. He
doesn’t hear or see you coming.
When
you touch him, he jumps but he isn’t nervous for long. He loves when you pet
him and when he realizes that is why you are there, he is one happy cat and
begins to purr. He lies there while you pet him, and pet him, and pet him. In
fact you will get tired out from petting him long before he will ever gives up
being petted.
Besides
the problems he has, he seems pretty happy. He enjoys eating, sleeping, roaming
around the house, and having you pet him.
The
interesting thing about animals is that they do not spend most of their life
worrying about the future. Hoover never wasted a moment thinking he might
become blind or deaf. It just happened slowly over time and he got used to it.
He doesn’t sit around the house all day thinking “Poor me, poor me, oh woe is
poor me.” He just does the best he can and has adjusted pretty well to his new
life.
My
guess is that he does not sit around and worry about dying some day. We worry
about it a little and will miss him when he is gone but have learned many
lessons from him and he will live on in our memory.
We
have learned not to worry about those things that your cannot change. We have
learned not to feel sorry for ourselves when we are having difficulties in life
or problems with health. We have learned that our life can change and we can
still enjoy ourselves. Most of all, we have learned that love is the best thing
to have and to give and that nothing can take that away. We love our kitty and
he loves us.
Written: May 19, 2007
Post Script June 1, 2007 –
Hoover passed away peacefully today. Announcements of his death went out to
family and friends who responded with an outpouring of sympathy and fond
memories. Doctor Fox (yes, a fox takes care of our cats) made a contribution in
Hoover’s name to the research department of the University of Illinois Veterinary
School. Hoover will be missed.
T
