I was a sophomore in high school. I walked into my classroom one morning and was greeted by the shouts of the students warning me to be careful where I stepped. There, on the floor, was a tiny little kitten that had been rescued after being nearly hit by a car in a Taco Bell parking lot. The kitten was just a few months old… scrawny.. flea infested. She was a tabby – tiger striped, in several shades of gray and black with some brown and tan mixed in. Since I had an after-school job working at the local veterinary clinic, I decided to take her into my care and have her looked at by the doctor.
The cat soon found her way to my home, and after some convincing, my parents allowed me to keep her. I named her Twiggy, and the name was appropriate. She was a long cat; skinny and sleek… and full of energy. Twiggy had a new home now, and a new family.
The years progressed and I found myself leaving for college in the Fall of 1995. I was 19 and Twiggy was 3. Very soon my parents ended up taking full care of her and quickly found her way into their hearts. Twiggy would, almost daily, follow my mother around the front and back yards, as my mother worked in the flower bed or attended to other daily chores. Twiggy would be there, meowing, laying in the sun and just overlook my mothers tasks. When family would return to the house, Twiggy would be there expressing in her series of repeated meows and figure 8’s around my parents legs, that she missed them and was glad they were home.
My career in firefighting and EMS began shortly after my schooling ended. Oregon quickly became my new home. I would call home frequently, and on numerous occasions, I would hear Twiggy meowing repeatedly in the background. My mother would jokingly sigh and ask me, “Do you want a cat? I’m gonna ship her up there!” As per every other phone call I made, Twiggy was always “fine and healthy.”
Healthy, until the past year. Twiggy developed a tumor on her abdomen which was pronounced benign by the local veterinarian. However, the cost to remove the tumor exceeded what my parents could afford. They continued to take care of Twiggy the best they could. Unfortunately, the tumor began to grow in size and started to bleed as she was constantly licking at it.
Today my mother, through tears, told me that she had some bad news for me and that they took Twiggy into the same veterinary clinic I worked at as a teenager and had her put to sleep. It was for the best as Twiggy was not looking healthy and the bleeding tumor was becoming a health issue. She was 11 years old.
The news didn’t really affect me when I first heard it, but I continually have thought about it throughout the day and I realize now that Twiggy meant more to me than I may have actually realized. I think my parents are finding that out too as her presence is
dearly missed by both of them.
My parents will miss Twiggy… and so will I. I know I haven’t been around for the majority of her life, but I always asked about her and looked forward to seeing her during my visits back home. Twiggy was a very cool cat… and definitely a huge part of our family. And there is no doubt in my mind we will never forget her.
Twiggy Lockhart
1992 – 2003
Remembering forever the cool cat,
| Jeff, Barbara and Larry Lockhart |