Author: Elke

For all of my adult life I’ve had Puddintame. He has always been there for me, not just the usual waiting for you to come home, but he always knew when I needed a friend. He was my best friend.
In 1991 my friend and I got a small flat near the beach in San Francisco. Soon a friend who worked for a vet had given us two black kittens. After a year passed, my friend found a place of her own, leaving me with 2 young cats. My cat “Langers” adopted a neighbor, So now it was just me and Puddintame.

Unfortunately my new roommates were not cat friendly and one day I came home from work and Puddintame was lying on the floor gasping for breath. I was so lucky to have the best cat hospital just a mile away. They had found his body cavity so full of puss, his lungs could not expand. Some one had kicked him in the stomach, causing a huge infected internal wound.

Puddintame was proof that cats have nine lives, because over the past 13 years he had two full files of unscheduled trips to the vet. He was never a beautiful looking cat , he was huge, 20lbs, short black hair, a cauliflower ear, and a broken meow. He wore a black collar with glow in the dark skulls and crossbones. He looked quite intimidating, but he was the sweetest and most gentle giant. Every one who had ever met him, loved him. People said he had so much personality.

Last year was worst year of my life, I was re-diagnosed with breast cancer. I lost my father after a 30 year battle with diabetes, a close friend was murdered, and Puddintame was always there with me. He slept in my arms, and I would always fall asleep to the sound of him purring.

I haven’t slept in three nights. Our last night together, he was so uncomfortable, he couldn’t even stir up a purr, he just put his head against mine as if he wanted to tell me it was time. So the next morning our vet set up a time where we could be without disturbances, and we said good bye. I held him until he stooped breathing. Just a few weeks ago, he started losing weight, vomiting. I took him to his vet, and after a blood test, I learned he had HIV. But a few days later we discovered a large tumor blocking his large intestine. I do have 13 years of wonderful memories, but I’ve just lost my closest friend.