TIGGS 1997-2011 - A MEMORIAL

Once again Debbie and I must make an announcement that we both dread.  On September 17th, we lost Tiggs, our bigger-than-life, kind-hearted, cowardly-lion tabby.  It seemed Tiggs always had some kind of ailment almost his entire life although after he lost his brother Maverick in October of 2010, these 'little ailments' started to take their toll.  They seemed to get worse when his sister Bristol passed away about 2.5 months ago.  Finally, about a weeke ago it got to the point he wouldn't eat and then that developed into his inability to get around without hurting.  So, we decided to take him in yesterday to relieve him of his suffering.  We so much didn't want to let him go but we knew the 'Last Fight' was upon us.  It was the right thing to do; as it was when the time came for Mavies and Bristol.  Tiggs was my contribution to the family of cats and had literally lived across the land in the last 14 years.  Starting out in Massachusetts, moving to Virginia, then to Texas, and finally back to Virginia in 2003, he was a regular traveller.  All-in-all he took all the moving well enough but over time he developed a personality that bordered on the paranoid.  He never quite got used to having people around and was not a cuddler (to Debbie's chagrin) to say the least.  He was scared of his own shadow and if he heard a noise out of the ordinary (and that would be ANY noise) he would jump out of his skin and head for the nearest closet. 

His worst fear was thunderstorms - he was absolutely petrified of thunder and would not venture out of his well-defined hiding place (his two favorites were in the pantry or behind the washer) until the coast was not only clear, very, very, very clear, but vitually noise-free.  The same reaction happened when visitors would come over - as soon as he heard unfamiliar voices he was gone.  He would eventually wander out from his hiding place once he had convinced himself that everything was okay.  Having said all that, once he got used to you he would love you to death - although he would never drop his guard - always keeping a wary eye out for something that would make him rocket back to his pre-determined hiding place.  The odd thing about all of this? He was BY FAR the largest of the three cats and people who saw him for the first time would always comment "He looks like a little lion!" Yea, he was big, but he was your typical gentle-giant. He will be missed.

So, in the course of less than a year, we lost all three of our beloved friends. It has only been a couple of days since we lost Tiggs but the house is so empty without them.

Tiggs is buried next to Mavies and Bristol - they are together once again!

BRISTOL 1996-2011 - A MEMORIAL

Once again it is with great sadness and heavy heart that we announce the passing of one of our beloved family members.  Bristol was not herself over the past couple of months but we could never put our finger on it despite several vet check-ups.  This past Sunday she was her lively self (or so we thought) but on Monday she completely quit eating and drinking and stayed under the bed without moving.  Today Debbie came home at lunch to find no change so she got her a walk-in appointment at 3:30 at the vet.  When Debbie came home at 3:00 to pick her up she knew the end was near - Bristol was now breathing through the mouth and her tongue was out - just like Mavey in his final hours nine months before.  We knew then what we had to do.  Having lost Mavey under similar circumstances in October we knew putting her to sleep was the best for her (The Final Battle - see Mavey blog).  So, at about 4:30 on 5 July 2011, Bristol went to join Mavey.  Bristol is also buried next to Mavey in our back yard (pictures tomorrow).

What can you say about Bristol - or as I affectionately liked to call her - Psycho.  She was lively to say the least and was known to back a German Shephard up in a corner - not to mention a few hundred people and the local squirrels and racoons.  She had her own special warning signs plastered to the side of her kennel and her vet records ran red with further warning signs.  When we did take Bristol in for vet appointments it was sort of comical (at least for Debbie and I) to watch what transpired.  If the attending assistant or vet hadn't seen Bristol before they surely noticed the warning signs plastered everywhere and took several double-takes when looking eye-to-eye with her - almost as if to say "Really?  She doesn't look that rabid."  If she had to go to the back they doned gloves and a heavy towel in order to pick her up.  What can you say - she was who she was - and we loved her.

To most everyone who really knew her, Bristol was a sweetie but you never really took your eye off of her just in case she was in one of her 'moods.'  But Debbie, of course, and I were immuned to her moods and took it in stride.  Lately Bristol took to following me to the couch and when I laid down, there she was saying "Okay, don't just lay there, pick my #$% up and be quick about it."  I did as I was 'ordered' and she would then proceed to knead me and lay down across my chest or around my neck and go to sleep.  I dared not move - at least not quickly.

Like Mavey, Bristol enjoyed going outside and on good days she would sit by the door waiting for someone to open it and when it was opened she would dart out like she had pulled a fast one on you.  If we let her, she would have stayed outside forever.  She liked to scamper between the back yard deck and the front porch but she never wandered far no matter what.

We will miss her terribly of course but she is in a better place and is not suffering.  Like the 'Final Battle' says under Mavey's blog, she fought valiantly but in the end, the disease was too much for her to bear.

Bristol - we love you and miss you - say hi to Mavey for us!

  

.