Saddest of days, at Natsie Towers - Meowser passed away, peacefully, this morning. I haven't been commenting, on the board, but he'd been a poorly puss for some time - at one stage we thought he would be gone long before now. He was generally himself, virtually to the end - the speed of his decline, over just a few hours, was incredible. We called the vet to the house, to save him any stress - had we had to make that decision, then we would have done what was best for him, not us. However, the vet assured us that the end was near, and so she stayed to make sure he was comfortable and not distressed - 20 minutes later, he was gone. I'm glad he held on to see one last Titans game (albeit pre-season). When the Chiefs play the Titans, there'll be a tear on my cheek...
For the interested, here's some of his story. Poor Meowser had a challenging start, in life - he was given away, as an unwanted kitten, to a completely unsuitable keeper who proceeded to subject him to a year of neglect and abuse, the result of which was some permanent injuries from kicks / blows/ having objects thrown at him. He was literally rescued, by the local Animal Rescue group - his keeper subsequently received a lifetime ban from keeping animals. They knew we were looking and so, based on our experience of cats, asked if we could try to give him a kind and loving home - if we couldn't, then it was thought that he would have to spend his days at the Rescue Center, as it was unlikely anyone else could take him on. After discussion, with Mrs Natsie, we decided he deserved better than to be left at the Center, so we said 'yes'. When he arrived at ours, he shot out of his basket and hid - he was, of course, a severely traumatized puss. He then proceeded to pace around the house, constantly meowing, 24/7 - which is how he got his name. After 28 days of broken sleep, Mrs Natsie was beginning to fray, but I couldn't give up on him. So.. mustering all of the faux authority I could, I said that we had to give him 35 days, to be sure - desperately hoping that Mrs N wouldn't ask where that figure came from...At the end of Day 34, we went to bed to the sound of meowing, and I was beginning to despair. We awoke, on the morning of Day 35, to...silence.. When I went through, to where he was, he was curled up, seemingly quite settled. And so he was here to stay - it was, of course, just the start of a long process of gaining his trust, and letting him know how much he was loved. He never quite shook-off everything - he always ran and hid if strangers came to the house. And Mrs Natsie conceded that mine were the only feet he trusted to be near him - whenever he needed reassurance, he would seek me out. I like to think we gave him the caring home he deserved, and I would forgive him everything - even when he refused to accept that ours was a Chiefs household...he stayed true to his Titans right to the end.
If there is place where good kitties go , then Meowser will be there - where treats are never ending, and the Titans always win...
