Friday, January 12, 2018

Burnie - 2002-2018


It’s almost 16 years since a frisky yet cute black and white kitten saw the open door of my home when my son was going out.  This kitten wanted a good home, so he simply walked in.  And stayed.  He stayed until my son died and I sold the house and took him and Crash to live with me.



We had some interesting times Crash and Burn and I.  Crash is a princess and Burn or Burnie was just Burnie.  If there was mischief to be found,  Burnie found it.  There were some things he could never seem to learn.  It is much easier to jump onto the seat of a chair than it is to claw your way up the back of the chair and jump into the seat from the top.  Ladders are for people, not cats.



One day shortly after I moved into this house., I expected a furniture delivery.  I made sure both cats were locked up before I opened the door.  I knew they were safe, but after the delivery, Burnie was nowhere to be found.  I looked all over for him, even walked around the block searching for him.  Hours later, I heard several faint “meows”.  I followed the sound and discovered that he had opened the door under the sink and probably went to sleep.  When he woke up, he couldn’t open the door and was calling for help.



His last few years were filled with doctor and hospital visits.  He was diagnosed with diabetes and a year or two later cured.  It seems that cats have an ability to reverse diabetes.  Then, a growth was discovered in his bladder.  It didn’t pose a problem for a while except that he stopped using the litter box, an annoying habit that I tried unsuccessfully to break.  The last few months he grew weaker as the cancer grew stronger.  This past month, he began having several bouts of bleeding.



Even though I knew that he would never get better, I kept postponing this day.  I am pro-life, I didn’t want to “pull the plug” on him.  This weekend I accepted the fact that his illness was taking over.  He moped around the house and yesterday didn’t eat.  After much back and forth with myself, I made the decision I kept putting off.



This morning I took him to the vet to be euthanized.  In true Burnie spirit, he went out kicking and screaming.  This cat who didn’t seem to mind twice a day shots of insulin objected loudly when the doctor tried to administer the medication.  He also protested when she gave him a sedative.  As the sedative was taking effect, he did his “about to throw up” howl and proceeded to return the little bit of food he had eaten today.  At that point, I decided to leave.  I’d rather remember his fighting spirit.



I’m so glad he walked into the house that day and I’m doubly glad that I decided to take him a few years after that.  We had some wonderful times, lots of laughs, especially when we would bury him in wrapping paper on Christmas morning, or when he would chase the sound of the geese when they flew over the house, or when he would be looking out the window waiting for me to return from an errand or trip.  He also liked to “help” me with the Christmas lights.  I rewarded his help by dressing him for Christmas.  



He gave me as much love as I gave him.  He had a better life than any stray cat could hope for.  He was a character.   He was a lovable cat.  I have had several cats over the last 50 years, but I never had such a lovable and curious cat. 



He will be missed. 

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