Dec. 22 1986 —- Aug. 19 2001
Cat
This is going to be tough but I’m going to try and put into words what
Manic meant to me. He died this past Saturday at 15 years 8 months
old – 4 months shy of 16 years.
I can clearly remember the day I got him.
My college roommate and I had decided we wanted a cat so I went to
the pet store in the Oaks Mall in Gainesville.
In the window I saw several kittens but one rambunctious,
black-and-white shorthair caught my eye.
He had the typical “boots” markings – black body white paws
and a distinctive half-white/half-black face with just a tip
of white on his black tail.
He was the friendliest kitten in the bunch and he was FREE with a
ten dollar purchase
(the litter box and his first bag of cat food took care of that).
When I got him home he immediately began exploring our apartment
and with all that kittenish energy he was literally “manic.”
So we decided that’s what we would name him.
I have some pictures taken that day of him crawling around the couch
and actually sitting on top of the front tire on my bicycle.
He was so small you could hold him in one hand!
I also recall the first night with Manic in the apartment.
I thought I would try and teach him that he needed to sleep by
himself in the living room not my bedroom.
So when bedtime rolled around I left him downstairs while I went
upstairs to my bedroom and shut the door. Well none of that —
just a few minutes of being alone were enough for him!
I heard him meowing all the way up the stairs and continuing to do so
right outside my door until I let him in.
He crawled up my bedspread and laid down on the pillow
next to my head then he stopped meowing and began
purring loudly as he went to sleep next to me.
He slept with me like that pretty much the rest of his life
(until I got married and “his” pillow became my wife’s!).
Manic was my companion through 10 different living spaces
5 different cities numerous girlfriends one wife and three career changes.
Along the way I added first one other cat and then a third when
I got married. We even had a fourth cat for about a year.
But through it all Manic was MY kitty.
He was always the most vocal of the bunch and loved nothing more than
to greet me at the door when I got home from work.
He would then follow me around — meowing all the while — until I gave
him enough love and attention to make up for me leaving
him alone all day.
There are so many memories I have with him.
The day my idiot roommate let him get outside and I came home and
found him on the roof of our apartment.
The road trips we took together including one where he got so
overheated in my non air-conditioned car I though he was going to die
on the way so I stopped at a gas station and forced him to
drink some Gatorade. Being so mad at him for peeing on the carpet,
a habit that caused my wife and I so much grief but one that could
not make me love him any less.
Even her nickname for him because of this behavior — the Pisser —
endeared him even more to me.
There were a couple of times before his eventual demise when I thought
we would lose him. During Christmas break one year when he was 13 our
cat sitter accidentally locked him in our bedroom without food or
water for 2 days and he barely survived.
Then about a year later he was having a hard time keeping any food down.
At the time we were living in Wisconsin and I just kept telling him to
“hold on I’m going to get you back to the South!”
He did hold on and we moved him once again to Athens GA.
Shortly after the move he again started having intestinal problems
he couldn’t eat without getting sick and we had him to the vet.
After extensive blood work and a complete physical the vet said he
had a strong heart for an older kitty and we just needed to
find him a diet he could keep down.
We eventually did and even though he lost weight
we were able to keep him alive happy and mostly pain free
until his final days.
The last couple of weeks it seemed as if his health was improving.
I had found a cat food he liked and was able to keep down and he
was eating well and actually putting on weight.
I knew he was still having problems but it was very encouraging to
see him once again eager to eat.
Looking back on it now I guess it was just his body’s
“last gasp” for life.
His last day on earth was tough for all of us.
My wife and I came home to find he had thrown up – a lot
all over the house – and was huddled under a chair in the living room
barely able to keep his head up.
When he tried to walk and couldn’t I knew the end was near.
He had fluid coming out of his nose and mouth he couldn’t control
his bladder and it was obvious from his deep mournful meows that he
was in a lot of pain. He was suffering from complete kidney failure
and had gone into shock.
It was so incredibly tough to place him in that box for one last trip
to the vet knowing in all probability he wouldn’t be coming home alive.
When it became apparent that the best thing we could do for him was
end his suffering I kissed him on the neck looked into his eyes and
told him how much I loved him and how much I would miss him.
I “fluffed’ the little white spot on his tail one last time.
I held him as they gave him the shot.
I didn’t know if I’d be strong enough to do that but I did.
That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to be a part of.
One second he’s my cat suffering but alive and the next he’s gone.
Our two remaining cats are very subdued and morose.
They definitely are aware that Manic has died.
We’ve lost not only the cat I loved the most and had the longest,
but the “voice” of our cat family as well.
Dinner time at our house always featured Manic at his loudest
meowing repeatedly as he wound around our feet to let us know he
would love to have a bite of whatever it was we were cooking
– especially if it was chicken.
Things are much much quieter now that he’s gone.
Of course it’s only been two days and neither my wife nor I are used
to him being gone yet. I know this afternoon will be tough when I get home
at the end of the day and he doesn’t jump up in the window to watch
me get out of the car.
He won’t be at the door meowing for attention.
After having him around for so long – almost 16 years –
I know it is going to take a long time for me to get used to the
fact he’s not with us anymore.
Manic you were my best friend my constant companion
and the one thing I could always count on to be there for me
no matter what was going on in my life.
During my darkest days you gave me a reason to live.
In that respect you saved my life and I wish I could have
saved yours.
I will love you and miss you for the
rest of my life.
Ric
| Manic |