this boy

I don't normally write about anything of a personal nature, nor do I read it if anyone else writes about their cat or dog or partners goiter or what they had for lunch. That's not what this site is about. I like to write about stuff that either informs or maybe gets a laugh. And maybe I also get to work out a few things for myself. If you don't like any of that personal garbage either, then ignore this, I'm just writing this for myself anyway.

This boy, Scout (the first brave kitten peanut out of the box to greet us), was my best friend ever. Always kind, always loving and sincere, his charm was his uncannily human earnestness, he was the Jimmy Stewart of animals. Dogs are pack animals, cats are not. They don't need an alpha male or a pack and they don't typically try to communicate outright or understand what is going on around them. This boy was different. And I am not anthropomorphizing, I have had 30 cats and dogs in my life over the years, I know what's what with the critters.

This boy was the first to greet me, whether I was gone 2 hours or 2 weeks. He never judged, he never got angry, never doubted or cast blame. I never wrote him a card or a letter, and once in a while I scolded him for being a pest, he did not know the meaning of the word grudge, he always loved me the same. No matter what I was doing, this boy would come to see what I was up to and make a most concerted effort to communicate. Staring me square in the eyes, with all of his ability, trying to form something close to an understandable statement that usually sounded like a raspy meow without the consonants. He spoke with as much clarity and conviction as he could muster, you could see it in his bright little eyes.

This boy was as close to a child as I will ever have. Wanting only three things; food, pets and companionship and maybe a nice chat now and then. He was a lap pal, slept between any variety of limbs and purred constantly, when I was with him, all stress passed from me. If you spoke to him, he would speak back, marching his feet as if to say, why aren't you getting this? He always had something nice to say.

Last week we picked up the usual rounds of Advantage flea care from the vet, it's for dogs but you can split dose for cats, unfortunately, also included were two containers of Advantix (which look exactly the same as the other), also for dogs but toxic to cats. For more than a day he panted and twisted and meowed desperately, never leaving my side. When we thought the worst had passed, his heart, as big as the ocean had decided it had enough. It was a horrible thing for a sweet guy to go through. This boy, this 11 pounds of gold, this old furry soul with optimistic tail, this sherpa guide of goodness, this Scout, my boy, will be missed terribly.