We knew this day would come. As with all good things, they do come to an end. We spent 2 1/2 years with beloved Tig. There was always the unknown of when he would go. That unknown came last night, September 2, 2010. Ok, enough of making it seem like he died. The reality of it is he went home with his original owner.
July 2008 Tig came to be part of our lives. How? Long story short, Nate's brother had a newborn and a house on the market in Minnesota. To keep the house in 'show-condition' it was easier for the cat to leave for a while. So during their visit that summer, we offered to take the cat for a little while. A little while turned into 2 1/2 years. You see, Tig lived to be an outdoor cat when he lived in Kentucky the first time. Once he moved to Minnesota he became an indoor cat, unaccustomed to the blistering, frigid, cruel winters of Minnesota. Back in Kentucky he always begged to be let out; afraid he wouldn't come back we outfitted the patio furniture with a tie-out leash and harness. Yes, we actually tied the cat up. Dont' feel sorry for him, he was spoiled in other ways.
As newly weds we happily shared our bed with our newcomer. Tig became very fond of Nate; so fond I must say the cat got more snuggle time than me! He grew to love Nate more and more. Next thing you know the cat pretty much took my place in the bed, right next to my dear husband.
We allowed bad table manners. You see, Tig has 'dairy tooth.' You know people have a 'sweet tooth,' well this cat LOVED anything with milk and cheese. He knew the sound of a bag of cheese being disturbed in the kitchen and therefore came sprinting in, only to beg for the slightest shred. This led to him putting his paws up on the kitchen table. Ice cream? Don't even think about eating it while he's around...unless you want a paw to take a swipe when you least expected it.
So anyway, the cat was spoiled; slept in our bed, put his paws on the dinner table, was let outside when he wanted. Oh yeah...I almost forgot; he wouldn't drink from a dish, so we let the water run from our bathroom faucets. Oh yes, we bent over backwards to make sure he felt welcome in our home.
Unfortunately he was diagnosed with kidney disease last summer. As old people are set in their ways, so was this cat. He would not eat the prescription diet, so he continues on his way with his cat chow. His almost daily accidents (due to kidney disease) finally sent my husband overboard. I was going a pretty good job of keeping our white carpets white, but it came to be too much. Nate wasn't playing Mr. Nice Guy anymore. And so that evening his brother came to get his beloved cat.
Tig will have a nice retirement out on the 1+ acre lot, a scenic view from the screened in porch and all the little rodents he dares to prey upon.
I must say, he is missed. We still do things out of habit, such as quickly open and shut the outside doors so he doesn't escape, look for him when we open the bag of cheese, expect to see him when we flip on the light in our bathrooms (waiting patiently for a drink of water), and there seems to be more room in our bed. :)
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