A Cat Without a Past

This is Mookie, my daughter's cat. He is a regal cat - very sure of himself. Always ready to take a nap on his favourite cat tree. His light orange coat made him standout among other cats. He was a hefty beast, weighing around 19 pounds. Recently though, he started to lose a lot of weight.My son found this handsome feline about three years ago and tried to contact his owners when he saw the signs which they had posted for his return. But they did not think that Mookie was their cat, even though he looked exactly like the photo on the poster and everytime some one called his name, he would look up at them, seeming to smile. He would come running to sit on my chest and purr in my face every time I went over to my daughter's place to visit. No one knows exactly how old Mookie was. He seemed much older than the vet's estimate. And although we wished he could talk, he could never tell anyone what adventures he had had in his life up to the time that he came to live at my daughter's house. He was a sophisticated cat. He would sit calmly on his cat tree or nap happily away for hours. My daughter was instructed, by the vet, to get Mookie to exercise more because he was so huge. She would run around her house with some exciting cat toy on a string so that Mookie could chase it. But usually he became bored with this 'game' after a few rounds of the livingroom, dining room and kitchen. Then he would just sit down in one spot, smacking the toy as my daughter ran by with it, until she was exhausted. Mookie believed in conservation. He did not want to waste his energy on a silly toy. After all, there was always some napping to do. And Mookie did the nap thing very well.

Over the past couple of weeks, Mookie had lots of medical tests done on his once healthy body. The vets' diagnosis was cancer - probably some kind of glandular cancer. There was nothing they could do and they said that he was in a lot of pain. Mookie stopped eating and drinking a few days ago and we were all sad that we could not do anything to make him feel better. It seemed as if this loyal friend deserved more from us.

Mookie passed away this morning, as he lay under his favourite shrubs in the garden. Well, actually any spot in the garden was his favourite, for Mookie loved the great outdoors. He would roll in the newly planted petunias and sniff every branch of the cedar bushes that were within his reach. The vet was kind enough to make the trip to my daughter's house to put Mookie out of his misery. No sterile veterinarian's office for this furry friend. He died peacefully in the garden. Goodbye Mookster!! We love you! You, the cat without a past, will remain in our hearts forever.