Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Some Nostalgia

Oh hey! I would like to start off this blog today by showing some old pictures I found on my memory card. These are the last pictures I took of my Oreo B. Kitty before he was put to sleep a few months later. (This blog was originally going to be a few pictures of Oreo then mostly about Mr. Grumblez, however I just kind of started writing about my big 'ol kitty so now this entry is long as shit.)

My Sweet Old Man



He was a gorgeous cat. A perfect tuxedo! He was also obese, topping off around 22lbs I believe. He was a long cat with a big frame so his belly didn't drag on the ground or anything dramatic like that. When I was younger Oreo and his sister, Scootie, (she died in 2004 when I was still in high school) would sleep with me at night. My mom told me she would come in before she went to bed to check on me and I would be curled in a tiny ball and Scootie would be curled in a tiny ball whilst Oreo was spread the fuck out like a space whore. As I got older he didn't sleep with me as often. Probably because 1. he didn't like my fan and 2. he knew that trying to wake me up in the morning to be fed was moot. But let's back up a bit... 

I got Oreo and Scootie in April as an early birthday present when I turned 7. (I also got my ears pierced that year and had my party at Discovery Zone. Is it bad to say that it was probably my best birthday ever??) My parents moved in with my grandpa about a year after I was born. He was adamant about not having pets in the house. After he died the previous February and my parents decided I was old enough to learn the responsibilities that come with owning a pet, I was FINALLY allowed to get one!  My parents took me out a few Saturdays in a row after spring hit. Shelter after shelter we were having no luck finding the right cat. I was getting discouraged. Finally we ended up at a library (of all places) that happened to be hosting a pet adoption event. I wandered eagerly into the open room that was full of cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies. I was at one side of the room looking at an orange cat that was about 2 years old, if I remember correctly, when I turned around and, I swear to you, locked eyes with a black and white kitten. I immediately skipped over to it. There were 4 kittens in the cage, one was black and white, one was gray and white, one was mostly gray, and one was mostly white. I stuck my chubby finger through the cage and the black and white kitten nudged me and the gray and white rubbed it's face on the side of the bars. My mom came over and asked me which one I liked. I told her I liked the black and white one, but also the gray and white one, I couldn't decide. It was then when she bestowed upon me the ultimate surprise, we were getting TWO kittens! It was then decided that the black and white and gray and white kittens were mine! My dad went to find someone to fill out paper work for adoption. There was a lady sitting very close to the cage full of kittens that had previously gone unnoticed by my eyes. She was crying so I inquired as to why. Turns out the kittens were hers that she was selling and she was sad to see them go. I told her the ones that I had picked out and she told me their names. Oreo was the black and white one, (I was excited because I was a huge fan of the cookie), and Scootie was the gray and white one because she was active and seemed to 'scoot' across the floor as she ran. The logistics of the adoption were worked out and before i knew it we were in the car on the way home with my brand new kittens! I was so excited to get home and play and cuddle them but instead as soon as we took them out of their cardboard carrier they scattered and we lost them for hours and hours. I of course was super offended thinking that it was my fault, that they didn't like me. My mom reassured me that they were just scared in their new environment and would come out eventually. After dinner we STILL couldn't find them. Who knew that kittens were such elusive creatures? On a whim I opened the bottom drawer of a desk in my grandpa's old room and low and behold...kittens. 



My babies!! So many memories with these two adorable creatures throughout the years. By the time I got them I was old enough to go downstairs by myself in the morning. My parents would sleep in and I would watch Saturday morning cartoons and eat cereal (my parents left out a bowl and cereal on the counter and a cup of milk within reach in the fridge for me). On these Saturday mornings I would wake up with both cats on my bed. I would drag my Minnie Mouse blanket across my room and drop it in the hall while I would go to the bathroom. When I was finished the cats would have assumed their position which was in the middle of my Minnie blanket. I would then drag it down the stairs and they would hold on with their claws dug in. This sounds mean but it wasn't, they electively did it by themselves. Once downstairs they would follow me into the kitchen where I fed them and fed myself then they joined me on the couch watching cartoons. I miss everything about those days.


We grew up together. They generally were the main subject of my early photographs.  Literally, I have hundreds of images of these cats. It is kind of insane. Things changed as we got older. I liked to sleep in late and had a social life. I wasn't around as often but you better believe that every chance Oreo got to get some lovin he did. Like most cats, when you are trying to do something important, like homework, they will plop down in the middle of it demanding attention. He did this a lot. Now here is where I will clear something up. I loved both cats super duper lots but Scootie was definitely my mom's cat while Oreo was mine. (I think Scootie preferred my mom because I always wanted to pick her up and hold her. She was long like Oreo but a lot smaller, thus my desire to cuddle her.)  For some unknown reason both cats did not care for my dad. He never did anything to hurt them, ever. We suspect it was because he was tall, had a booming voice, and a heavy step but in reality we will never know.

My mom was on a business trip when Scootie got sick. She wasn't eating or drinking and was lethargic. She let me hold her. When my mom got back she took Scootie to the vet. It was discovered that she was severely dehydrated. Sadly, the cost of rehydrating her was not worth the percentage of her survival so my mom had her put to sleep. I was devastated when I found out. (Scootie was also blind the last few years of her life-the vet couldn't tell us why, only that other than the blindness she was totally healthy.) I was at a friend's house after school. When I came home Oreo looked at me and meowed like he knew exactly what was going on, that his sister wasn't coming home. He walked around the house yowling for about a week or so.  He loved her but he was very jealous-if she was getting attention and he wasn't, he made sure to beat her up later. Scootie liked to snuggle with my mom at night when she watched TV and Oreo would be with me until I fell asleep. When my dad would come up stairs to go to sleep Oreo would go stand in the hallway and 'call' for Scootie. Despite my parent's warnings, she would jump off the bed and go into the hall where the 2 of them would fight.

Oreo continued to be my cat until I went to college. My mom said he was horribly depressed when I left. He would sit in my room or just outside my door, and yowl. I missed him way before I missed my parents. He was my fuzzy buddy. Of course the second I would walk in the door to visit  Oreo knew and would come up to me and meow and demand attention. Sadly though, he was now my mom's cat. I spent every single possible second with him when I was home. We always missed each other when I left but we knew that we would be reunited again. By the time I had moved out for good Oreo was looking pretty feeble. He was happy, still drank and still had a VERY healthy appetite but he could hardly get around. Watching him walk was almost painful. My mom would carry him upstairs every night to watch TV with her because going up the stairs was really hard for him. He couldn't even jump up on the couch or my bed anymore, and he didn't like to jump down.



These photos make me really sad to look at. You can tell he was in pain and looked tired. I was in denial about it, frankly. The thought of my sweet boy not being around anymore practically made me sick. However, the last time I was home I somehow knew that it was going to be the last time I would see him. I had my car all packed and ready to go then I went and sought out my kitty. He was in my parent's room, so I put him on their bed and petted him for probably close to half an hour. I scratched all of his best spots, gave him lots of kisses, and brushed his face exactly where he liked it. It was really hard to leave, I eventually hugged him goodbye and put him on the floor. He hobbled back to his spot where he was sitting in between a cedar chest and my parent's TV.
On June 10th, 2011 I got a text message from my dad saying something to the effect of, 'We put down Oreo this morning. I'm sorry.' Finding out about the death of a beloved pet via text message is uh...NOT COOL! At this point I completely loose my mind as I am surrounded by Steph's cats. I always thought that at a time like this I wouldn't want to be surrounded by other cats but it turned out to be a good thing I think. I don't regret second with this cat. He was the sweetest, most loving creature I could possibly ever imagine. I miss him all the time, especially when I see a black and white cat.
My current roommate and I are discussing getting a cat. I am totally ok with that. I miss Oreo and Scootie. I miss Reese, Baby Chan, and Sally. I like having something that will cuddle with me and hang out with me outside of my room. Worry not though, I will not end this blog on a sad note...

Mr. Grumblez is pimpin. He just hopped out of his cage and is pushing his fence around with his face. We went home last week for a short visit. I forgot his raisin treats-which of course my mom was upset about. Even though we didn't have them every time my mom walked by his cage, he would jump up on the side begging for raisins. Smart little man he is.


My over exposed, pale ass arm is regrettable. Here he was accepting a slice of apple which I always make sure to share when I eat one.


Oh Mr. Grumblez, you slay me with your adorable bunny foot.


It was super hot a few weeks ago so I broke out one of the frozen tiles to cool down this fuzzy little man. For whatever reason my room is about 10-15 degrees hotter than the rest of the house so I am sure this felt really great for him.


Standing up to say hello!


I'm sure he was thankful for this hardcore brushing the day before it was hot as balls. I still could have gotten more fur off him but he was getting restless on my lap.


Until next time...BYE!!!