Adieu, Dear Friend!

I am sad to report that this morning at approx. 10:00 we had to put our beloved Miezie to sleep forever.

Luckily the poor guy had passed into a waking coma sometime between 4:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. so didn't experience the final ride to the dreaded vets.


His given name is really Ramses, but throughout his 17 years of life has been mostly known as Miezie, Kitty, Mimu, Mimiman, Miezmiez, Hey There Meeeem!, and sometimes Miezie Stop That! or Miezie NO! although the last two not that often.

We shared thrilling conversation on a daily basis (Are you the Meem? Miaow. Really? You're the Meem? Miaow. You're the Meem! Miaow!) 

 Miezie was quick to draw blood and engender not insignificant pain to the unwary, but never held a grudge. He loved a game of hide and seek or chase the straw. Miezie was always there for a late night writing binge at the computer or curled up next to me on the couch while I read and shared my yoghurt with him in the wee hours whenever I couldn't find sleep. 

He was an outdoor cat first and foremost and always to be counted on for his help and guidance whenever any gardening activities were being carried out. Or when snowballs were being thrown or snow igloos constructed (made expressly for his use).

His hunting prowess was incomparable and he was an excellent ratter. His mousing abilities were so good, we had to devise a means to catch the ones he let loose in the house still very much alive and sometimes in the middle of the night (the soon-to-be-patented Empty Shoe Method).

He purred incessantly, wanted to be petted Right Now, and would always be near one, but honestly didn't enjoy being picked up or carried around. He wasn't a lap cat either, but would deign to sit on my lap (and no one else's) for around five minutes at a stretch just to show he could do it.

I always appreciated his companionship near (or mostly on) my laptop keyboard and his incisive additions to my manuscripts, some of which I only found when doing final edits.




 I had no idea I would be grieving this much for him, and I know it's completely maudlin to talk about it, and no, I don't care.

Miezie now has a nice place in the garden where he can keep an eye on us with a stack of smooth Brittany beach stones over his resting place. 
He was always so utterly happy in the garden, sun, rain or snow.

 

At least he is finally at peace and probably already hunting far afield in the Otherworld. Adieu, my dear dear friend!