Two Continent Kitty

For seventeen years we lived in a house on a quiet cul-de-sac in a suburb north of Seattle. We moved there when Alexis was just eight years old with our Golden Retriever, Bogie, and our Tortie cat, Sophie. Over the years, many cats appeared on our back deck, they all seemed to know that our place was a safe haven, where they would get food and affection.

We found homes for some of them, a few we took to the local PAWS shelter, but one in particular, we kept. He popped up on the deck one autumn day and decided that this was his home and we were his pets. Alexis named him Neville, after Neville Longbottom of the Harry Potter series.

He was a free spirit and roamed the neighborhood getting to know all the residents. He liked to nap on the tarp-covered boats and RVs in the neighbor’s yards, and sit on the fence in our backyard, tormenting the neighbor’s dogs. He fought with other cats, but gave our senior kitty, Sophie, the respect she commanded.

He lived with us for several years when there came a time when we didn’t see him for several days. Alexis and I searched the neighborhood, calling his name, knocking on doors, asking if anyone had seen him, but to no avail. We were heartbroken, although Sophie seemed pleased as punch at his disappearance. I learned from a neighbor that he had a second family and they had moved and must have taken him. Sneaky little two-timer, he never told us that. So that was it; we hoped he would be well loved and happy in his new home.

It was the end of summer and Alexis had gone back to Oregon for her senior year of college, theTravelsketcher was away on a business trip, and I was home alone. I was in the kitchen after work one evening, with the door to the deck open when I saw him pop up on the deck. I shrieked with joy when I saw him! He was skinny, hungry, had battle wounds, but purred loudly as I held him close.

Our neighbor didn’t know where his people had moved to and suggested we keep him. The vet pointed out that if we were able to find the owners and return him, he would continue to try to find his way back to us again, which was risky and dangerous. She also said that cats pick their people and he picked us. However, I looked for lost cat notices in the newspaper, at local businesses, and on telephone poles in our neighborhood, but never saw one about him. So we decided to keep him, and he continued to live his free-roaming life with us.

He eventually had to make some adjustments though. First off, a few years after his return, we sold our home and moved to a townhouse where he had to be an indoor kitty. But he adjusted quickly as usual. He also didn’t realize that he would be moving to France one day. Lots of people told us they would take him, but we politely declined their offers. After all he endured to find his way back to us, there was no way we could give him up.

Eighteen months ago, just a few months before we moved to France, he was diagnosed with kidney disease. However, the vet gave the okay for the move. The vet said he probably didn’t have much longer to live, so we were pleasantly surprised when he flourished and thrived here. He loved being able to go outside whenever he pleased. He roamed freely, watched birds, caught rodents, rolled in the dirt, and entertained the neighbors with his antics.

We said goodbye yesterday and held him as he passed. The vet said his kidneys were shutting down quickly. He is by far the best pet we have had, and we’ve had some really great ones over the years. He was friendly, outgoing, social, well mannered, he scratched only on his scratching post, never on the furniture or carpeting, and never sprayed in the house. He was the perfect gentleman cat and we will miss him terribly.

Our dear friend Shirley shared this quote with us when we told her about Neville’s passing:

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened. Anatole France

Have you had an exceptional pet? If so, I would love to hear about them, so please leave a comment if you like.

All the best,

Tricia