Translate

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Tux... we will miss you

This I truly believe...


Tuxedo Armani Shinycoat (alias: Tux)
2004 - 2020

Almost all of our cats had lengthly names. His brother that passed 5 years ago from Feline Leukemia was Jumpin' Jack Lickidyspit (alias: Jack), and his sister (now suffering with her frozen jaw) is Monkey Mouse Squeaky Toy (alias: Julie). 

Tux passed away this past Monday - unexpectedly. He was diagnosed 3 years ago as having chronic kidney failure and tumors. But he has done very well - occasionally having flare-ups, but he always bounced back successfully. This time he didn't. Instead his body shut down very quickly and before we knew it, we had lost him.

Part of the shock was due to the fact that his sibling, Julie, is having her own serious problems right now. Her jaw is still 'locked' or 'frozen' and despite the steroids and antibiotics, there has been very little improvement. The Vets are puzzled. Blood tests and x-rays come back normal. She eats what she can of blended catfoods and I force feed her with a syringe as needed. And she is alert and active, but getting very thin.  

So we have been focused on Julie... and shocked when Tux went down so fast. 

Tux was my 'familiar' - that's as close to explaining our relationship as I can get. Jack was our 'heart'... and Julie is our 'baby'. All 3 are from a litter we took in back in 2004. But Tux and I understood each other... where-ever I was, Tux was.

When Jack passed and Tux became the only male in the house-hold, he didn't know how to handle it. Jack had always been the easy-going patriarch who took care of everything and everyone (cleaned all the cats, but especially his brother, Tux - so much that Tux never had whiskers as Jack would clean them right off his face).

Lucky for us over the years none of our cats ever fought. They have all got along... sleeping with each other, cleaning each other, etc. It may be that because we took so many into our home that they got used to including another in their lives.

Tux eventually adjusted. He became the male head. When Ghost (who has attitude problems - nicer than saying she's psycho sometimes) would get pissy and start growling - Tux wouldn't stand for it. He would follow her around as she hissed and growled and lay in front of her on his back as if saying "really, what's the problem?" He also had no problem with jumping right up and laying on my lap on top of any other cat that might be laying there - so that they would leave. He considered it his right. (DH thought this was pushy - but it was who he was - he was finding his way as the alpha cat).

One thing that was obvious about Tux. He was a sensitive soul... easily got his feelings hurt.




If he was sitting on my lap - as he almost always was - and one of the others came by and I leaned over to pet them, Tux would leave. 

We were thinking of what Tux liked the other day and came up with this list:

1. He loved to be by me - watching TV, trying to knit or read, or napping.
2. He loved to eat - maybe that should be #1 - as he was usually 16-18 lbs.
3. He loved people, visitors, workmen or women - he would follow them around and gladly sit in their lap.
4. He loved to lay on DH's shoes.
5. He loved our grandson... and would go to him the minute he came in the door.

Our house-hold won't be the same without him. Now I should be able to knit or read a book without him trying to knock it from my hand... should be able to drink without him wanting to stick his face into my glass... (these things that were sometimes a pain will now be missed). He will no longer have to be the first one inside the new box. (Julie and Ghost may or may not miss this)

Some pics:











































We will miss you...



Hugs,
Rian




and a pic from the past 


Ghost, Jack, Rose, Julie, Tux










Tuxedo Armani Shinycoat

17 comments:

  1. I am so sorry to hear about Tux. There was an interesting typo about having taken in him and his siblings in 1904. I saw the dates under the picture and figured it out, but it did put a smile on my face. Cats and their 117 lives! My heart goes out to you as you deal with all this, Rian.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, DJan. I fixed the typo. Yes, they do live fairly long lives, but that would be pushing it a bit. We took Tux and his siblings in when their feral mom left them in 2004, not 1904.

      Delete
  2. Sorry to hear ... it's always hard to lose a pet. Some adorable photos though.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just wish all of ours got on. Princess and Polly are the only ones who clean each other.
    So sad to read this blog, it's something that we never get use to isn't it? losing our furry friends. I don't worry about much in life now but I do worry that we will not outlast our 5 as I know they would not settle elsewhere.
    Lovely photos Rian to look back on.
    Briony
    x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, Rian, I'm broken-hearted for you. I full understand that the things that they do that annoy us are often the things that are most missed. My thoughts and prayers to you and your husband.

    Godspeed, Tux. If you see Nicki at the Bridge, give him a nose tap from me. Blessings.

    Kim

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh Rian, I am so sorry. What a special cat Tux was. You will sure be in my thoughts. Bad enough that you were worrying about Julie, but then to suddenly lose Tux. I'm so sorry. Love, Henny

    ReplyDelete
  6. oh no, so very sorry, could the locked jaw be from eating some raw pork somehow?

    ReplyDelete
  7. He was such a handsome fellow. I do feel your loss as all animal lovers feel when their pets too short life spans ends. You did have a great sixteen years though with lots of memories and pictures. I just hope Julie gets past this illness that you are both dealing with.

    ReplyDelete
  8. So sorry to hear this. We just recently lost one of our cats to kidney disease, but he went much quicker than your Tux. He looked like a lovely cat - very sleek! I hope you figure out the other problem. Take care! -Jenn

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am so very sorry for the loss of Tux. He was quite the handsome fellow with a name befitting.
    There are cats in heaven, of that I am quite sure.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dear Rian, the death of Tux has to have made your heart weep. As I read your posting and realized that Tux was your "familiar," I thought of Dulcy, who died back in 1989. She was that for me. Always she is with me now as I've lived with other cats since her death. She gave me the story of our relationship after she died and Crown published it as "A Cat's Life: Dulcy's Story." That gift was truly a blessing in my life--from Dulcy to me as she celebrated the love we shared.

    The first words she gave me for the book were as follows: "At the end, all that matters is love . . . my love for my human and hers for me. I have planted the memories of our life together in her heart. She will find them there when I am gone, and they will comfort her."

    I'm sure that Tux is saying the same to you. Peace.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks to all of you for the thoughtful comments. We will be fine. Despite the sorrow losing them brings, it doesn't outweigh the joy they brought to our lives.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Had to fight back tears for your loss of Tux but also a bit for my only cat Snowflake. We grew up together.

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a sweetie and you gave him the perfect name :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. My sincere sympathies on Tux's passing. He definitely will be missed. Your memories will always be there and the beautiful photos that captured his spirit.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for reading and commenting! It makes my day...