Ode to Woody

[smileswhf]

We put jjwright55's cat Woody to sleep today. He turned 14 at valentine's day. It was clear yesterday that he wasn't doing so well. We took him to the cat clinic and they gave him some food and some fluids. He rallied round in the afternoon and I thought he might pull through this one. It wasn't to be. This morning he was very, very weak. It was pretty clear that he probably wouldn't make it another day. So jesse and I stayed with him and petted him while he got his injection. It was indeed completely painless.

Woody was a grand champion abyssinian. His beauty was, of course, the first thing every one noticed about him. But it only took another minute before you would discover what a loving, affectionate, friendly cat he was. As soon as you would pet him, he would look up at you with pleading eyes until you picked him up. He would wrap his little woody paws around your neck and press his face to yours. Then he would drool. It was gross. But it was also woody who would stomp across the headboard of jesse's bed when he had nightmares, ever defending jesse from the evil ghost kitties. And it was woody that would wake jesse up at four in the morning, pawing his face to be petted. Or fed. The food of choice being nutro's uber special "veal pate." But his passion was deli-cut roast beef cooked in garlic and spices. If there was roast beef to be had, he became like a shark in a feeding frenzy--biting your fingers and climbing your leg to get at it. In his younger days, woody had a huge crush on my old siamese, zooey. Zooey was in her golden years then and had very little tolerance for any young whipper-snapper. So woody would follow her around, her constant companion at the safe distance of three feet away. If love is the path to god, then woody was a prophet. He loved every cat and every human who ever crossed his path. His affection was boundless. His sweetness touched everyone who was ever blessed to meet him.

Our family is smaller today.

Comments

[chuckvideo.livejournal.com]

Aaww, I'm so sorry about Woody. At fourteen years old, Woody had quite the wonderful life.

I'm thinking about you right now and what you're going through.

[smileswhf.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the kind words. He did have a good life and we did everything we could possibly do to make these last few weeks as comfortable as possible. Still, there's an odd quiet in the house.

[chuckvideo.livejournal.com]

Our little doggie Jozee turns fourteen tomorrow, 98 in dog years, so I suppose her clock's ticking as well.

On a slight tangent, are oyu planning on going to Burning Man this year? I might might might go with Becky, depends on my work schedule and other factors.

[caereala.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[smileswhf.livejournal.com]

thank-you for your sympathy.

Thats so sad

[tsaka.livejournal.com]

That is preatty sad but woody was a cool cat and was fun to play with.