My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts
Day 66: Rest in peace Mickey – (2007 – 2017)
Today’s post
is dedicated to Mickey, whom we lost yesterday December 6th.
Mickey came to
live with us after mom passed away and dad decided to move to a retirement
home. A new home had to be found for Mickey. I didn’t even bother looking for a
home for him, because I knew right away that Mickey would come to live with me.
Not only would he receive all the love and attention he deserved, my dad would
have peace of mind that Mickey would be well looked after.
A cat carrier
and a plane ticket was bought, and when I returned from Belgium to Canada, Mickey
came with me. He handled the trip like a pro. But that was Mickey alright, he
was a relaxed cat, nothing bothered him.
Upon arrival in
Toronto, he was welcomed by Dieter and once home he immediately got along with
the other cats. He went from being an only child to having brothers and sisters
and he loved it.
After exploring
his new home, he took up residence in an armchair, and that for years to come
was his favorite spot. Not that he didn’t try other places, he sampled the
coffee table, the side table, the top of the armoire, the sideboard and of
course, Dieter and my bed.
When we adopted
Gabriel a few weeks after Mickey’s arrival, Mick was there to welcome the
little one and he became daddy. Gabriel thought Mickey was his mommy and
occasionally sucked the nipples on Mickey’s belly. Mick probably thought ...
what a confused little kitten this is, but good old Mick took it in his stride.
Mickey was not a
very active cat or even playful cat. He did like to chase a laser light, but
other than that he preferred watching the others play with a ball or a mouse
rather than taking part in the game.
Neither was
Mickey a very vocal cat. Not once did we hear him meow, the most that ever came
out of his mouth was a high pitched “E”. He could carry a conversation though.
When we mimicked his little “e” sound, he would reply, over and over again.
Mickey loved
attention though. At least once a day he would come and sit next to me or
Dieter and start headbutting us. This was our cue to stroke his back and rub
his head and cheeks. Oh how he loved to have his cheeks rubbed. I
didn’t actually have to move my hand, he twisted his head this way and that way
so that the top of his head, his cheeks and under his chin all got attention. It carried on
for so long that eventually we had to say “Okay Mick, that’s enough.”
Another thing he
loved was going to the bathroom with us. Every time, every single time, one of
us got up to use the bathroom and Mickey heard the door closing, he would go
running to join whoever used the room. He could be fast asleep, but when he
heard the light switched on and the door closing, he was wide awake and went running.
Eventually, it turned into a bit of a joke. When one of us had to go, we would
say “Mick, are you coming?” and he did.
Mickey also like
to watch certain activities such as dish washing and window washing. I called
him inspector Mickey. Or when potatoes were peeled and resting in cold water,
he would come and have a look, even touching the water.
One of his
habits was ‘washing’ his paws after he had used the litter box. He did it every
single time. He would use his box, step out of it, go to the nearest wall and
make a scratching movement (presumably to get the sand off his paws).
All in all he
was a healthy cat who never saw the inside of a vet’s office. My folks took his
to their local vet of course for his shots and to have him neutered, but here
in Canada, he was never sick. As it turned out, his first visit to our local
vet was also his last. Two days ago I noticed that Mickey a trouble breathing.
I suspected that he had a cold and took him to the vet for an exam and
medication. X-rays revealed that Mickey’s chest was full of fluids and he had
an irregular heartbeat. An operation, after care and medication would not only
have cost thousands of dollars, but would bring Mickey great discomfort as the fluid would most certainly return. So I made the decision to let Mick go in peace.
Now that he’s
gone he is missed. I woke up this morning and he wasn’t there at the footend of
my bed. I went to the bathroom to shower and he didn’t follow me. His armchair
is empty.
I hereby would
like to thank everybody who responded to today’s earlier announcement of Mickey’s
passing. The messages of condolences haven’t stopped. That’s one thing of
Facebook friends, when something happens, they are there to comfort and
support. I guess everybody knows what it’s like to lose a loved one.
Below a
selection of Mickey’s greatest hits ...
Rest in peace Mickey
Flowers from Birchmount Veterinary Clinic
