I had to put my beloved 6 year-old cat Nathan to sleep on September 29, 2002, almost four weeks ago this Tuesday. I got him as a stray on September 1, 1996 – a good friend’s co-worker had found him in Port Chester, New York,
underneath a bush in a rainstorm,
and his tail was smooshed.
He was about 6 weeks old, and had very obviously been run over by a car. His tail was amputated and he was in ‘foster care’ with the woman who found him, but she, her husband and kids had other pets and their three year-old was getting attached to Nathan, so my friend who was co-workers with this woman knew I was thinking of getting a cat, and asked me if I’d like to take him. So I did. And the name “Nathan” just flew off my tongue during my first meeting with him in a little apartment in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Nathan has lived in three places with me – one apartment in New Haven, CT, a small Cape Cod-style house in West Haven, just a mile down the road, and then he ventured up to Boston with me when I was going to go to music school, and he has been my companion for six years. He was a very, very animated cat – my roommate Gloria and I used to say that he was Charlie Chaplin reincarnated.
He had a very cartoonish face at times, he was incredibly acrobatic (I used to say that maybe he was Cary Grant reincarnated, because Cary Grant was initially an acrobat in the early 1900’s in British vaudeville troupe that performed in New York City, and Nathan was VERY vaudevillian, and like Cary Grant, extremely handsome) and also a bit nervous and skittish all his life because of his accident. But he was a sweetheart with a loud motor(purr) and a little love bunny who liked to sleep near my head sometimes at night, and sometimes slept at the foot of my bed, or sometimes in our living room, on the top of the couch on the right-hand side.
He eventually warmed up to solo visiters, but large groups (my family, or parties) made him nervous, and one of his favorite places to hide was behind the refrigerator.
He also loved the pigeons that love to congregate around the outside of our apartment house in the back…he made a noise which gave him his nickname “PO!” when he would see them…I think he would have liked to have them as a snack…but the fresh breeze from the open door to our balcony was one of his favorite things. That, and tunafish, but that was second to turkey or chicken, which he would tip the garbage pail over for if one of us cookedand left a package in the trash.
He played with an old Ernie doll – and tore his ear off practically and bit his eyeball (Ernie got a beating, but hey, he’s stuffed!). He also LOVED catnip…he was a catnip fiend, my son…ahhh…and would hoard the stuff if other cats in the apartment were enjoying it. He also loved windowsills…open windows were his favorite too. I also used to dance with him many a time -he let me, because he loved me – usually to Madonna’s “Beautiful Stranger” remix, or some other dance music…and I would sing at the same time – poor guy – he’d take it, then eventually beg (with no sound) to get down. And he also used to breakdance – I would “spin” him – basically put him on the floor, and when he was all smooshed and relaxed, spin him in a circle.
He also just was light on his feet…and he was, and always will be, to me, as my roommate Karen put it, “the quintessential cat”…the Master Pokins, and the Mysterios Po, and my “Na-Na”.
But, most of all, I must say that I am thankful that Nathan was in my life for the six plus years that he was. He was with me through good times and not-so-good times, and he was a very sensitive kitty, and knew when I needed some “cat love”. He is a Cancer, and they tend to be on the sensitive side! But most of all, he traveled with me, and took my dancing with him, even though it wasn’t his favorite thing. And he knew, above all, that I would always take care of him and do what was best for him and watch his back. I will miss my Na…but I know he’s with me.
Nathan McCann aka “Nathan”, “Na” “Na-Na”, “Po”, “Pokins”, “Master Pokins”,
“Mysterious Pokins”
I’m sure your sweet little soul is resting in peace and watching over me.
Love to you for eternity,
| Nathan |
| 29, Sep 2002 |
| Kathy McCann |