It was with heavy hearts - hearts that have another cat-shaped hole in them - that we said goodbye to Max today.
He has been my buddy since 2003 and my husband's buddy since 2007. Actually, he was originally Gracie's buddy. Gracie was an only cat. A very needy only cat who did not do well with the hours I was working during residency. So I got Max for her. Once she accepted him, they were inseparable. Max wasn't sure what to do when Gracie passed on 5 years ago. He really wasn't sure what to do when we introduced new kittens into the house, but he eventually figured that out and mostly got along with them.
He has always been a high-maintenance cat, with some sort of health issue pretty much constantly since kittenhood. But he was such a sweet, low-key guy that one forgave him the maintenance required to be his buddy.
When he was a kitten, I called him my little monkey because he had these looooong legs and a loooooong tail and a looooong skinny body. He let me carry him around, cradled in my arms like a baby. He let me carry him that way right up to the end. He was also a fan of being carried around in a stretched-out position against his human's torso, looking out over his carrier's shoulder, with his front legs splayed out in a slightly undignified fashion. But who cares about dignity when someone is carrying you around and letting you check out the world? My husband took him on walks around the neighborhood like that, every day during his last week. He got to listen to the birds and sniff the flowers.
He's been blind the last several years, but he still seemed to somehow find his way to the top of the cat tree when he felt like it. For someone who couldn't see, he certainly got around. My little monkey.
He always wanted to be near us. When I started working from home, I gained an office buddy who would follow me downstairs when it was time for lunch and back upstairs when it was time to start work again. I've missed that companionship these last couple months as his health deteriorated.
Goodbye, sweet boy. Say hi to Gracie for us when you see her. We'll miss you.
