Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Dude

On his 17th birthday I wrote in here about my California Cat, Dude. He was the oldest cat I've ever owned, and today he gave up the fight after more than 18 1/2 years.

He was born July 9, 1988 behind the couch in the apartment I shared with then-girlfriend (now ex-wife) Melody in Lakeside, CA, on the same day that I flew to Illinois to check on job prospects that soon led to my return to Illinois following a 3-year stint in San Diego. I had him before and since my 16-year marriage, a fact I find amazing.

His father was my cat, "Tranch" (short for Tarantula, a name given by a friend who was amused by the long white hairs that stood out through his otherwise smooth black coat); his mother was Melody's cat Gizmo (who earlier survived a near-fatal encounter with a car, and had pins in her leg). On that same morning, my female cat Jasper & Melody's male cat JYC (Junkyard Cat) had a litter under the dishwasher that included Misty, who passed away in February of '04.

Dude & Misty were the 2 kittens that we brought with us from California when we moved. He's older than 3 of my kids (one of whom will graduate from high school this spring), and remained the alpha male in a 5-cat household.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dad,
I'm very sorry about Dude. He was an amazing cat, even though i was scared to death of him at first. I remember how he used to scratch people as they walked by. I also remember how faithful he was to you. He changed from that mean cat to one of the nicest cats i have ever seen. He lived a full life and now he is looking down upon you. He stayed with you as long as he could. You have many memories that will stay with you of the last 18 1/2 years. I love you and I'm very sorry about Dude. I loved him too.

Sheena