A Tribute

Things have been improving with my mother, which is a major relief.  With the CNA working with her every day, she is getting the attention she needs.


Wednesday of this week I had a colonoscopy, so you know how Tuesday and Wednesday were spent.  They used Michael Jackson's drug of choice and I was knocked out instantly and seemed to awaken just as suddenly, feeling alert and fine. Those of you who have had this know that the procedure is the easy part.  Drinking all of the horrible tasting stuff and all that follows is the hard part. I am very happy to have it behind me.  I also recently read an article stating that after the age of 75 the colonoscopy was no longer needed, so I'm considering this my last one!

On Thursday I had to take Gabby to the vet again.  The prednisone seemed to stimulate his appetite for about a week, but then over the weekend he stopped eating again.  He was also spending a lot of time in a bedroom by himself or in my closet.  This time they did x-rays and discovered that he had a huge mass in his stomach and a spot of his spleen.  The mass was the source of the problem and made it difficult for him to eat.  The vet said there was nothing he could do, so I went up to be with Gabby while he was put to sleep.  It was heartbreaking to lose him.  I thought of bringing him home for a day or two, but I knew that was selfish and would be difficult for him and for me, as much as I would like to have had him home for a little while.


Gabby was my first pet as an adult and I never even considered adopting until I felt I could devote the time needed. I told Allan, a cat aficionado, that I didn't know what to look for or how to select a cat, and he said, "Oh, the cat will adopt you."  That's pretty much what happened.  Most of the kitties were adorable and sweet, but Gabby was actively trying to unlock the door to the crate.  I asked if I could take him out and he immediately snuggle up to my neck and just seemed to love me from the beginning.  I asked about adopting him only to learn that another family had completed the application and were to pick him up the next day.  I asked if I could put in an application also, in case they didn't show.  Two days later the call came that Gabby was mine......the people hadn't shown, so it was meant to be.


I don't know about other cat owners, but ours always have an official name (Gabby) and a variety of endearing names....Yellow Kitty, Precious One, Golden Boy and so on.  In emails, Allan referred to him as TMPKWWW - The Most Precious Kitty in the Whole Wide World.....that is until he got his cats and mistakenly thought they held the title!  When Gabby was a kitten we called him Devil Spider Monkey, because he was everywhere and could not stand to be held.  The minute he was picked up he began wiggling and squirming.  My plan was just to stroke him gently whenever he was close, not to constrain him for too long.  It worked like a charm and he soon began to like the attention, or maybe he just outgrew devil spider monkey stage!  Those

who have visited know that he was the most social of the kitties.  Though he loved the adulation of people, at the end of the day he was a Mama's boy.  He may be where he wants to be, but when it is serous sleeping time he will come up and sleep on my arm.  He would put his front paws over my arm and fall asleep, or a paw and his head in my hand......which also meant that I could move any way I wanted as long as my arm didn't move.  Of course, once I was asleep he would do what kitties do at night; but, the first time I moved in the morning, he was there.  He was the first thing I saw when coming home and, were he here now, he would be lying beside me as I type or on the table by the sofa, within arms reach...as you see him here. Pet owners know how quickly and completely pets win your heart and provide that unconditional love that you find no place else.  I think my other kitties see me as a source of food, but Gabby saw me as a source of love and affection, as I did him.  He was 14 years old and brought me 14 years of pleasure and joy.  The house isn't the same without him and I will miss him greatly, but the sadness I feel was worth the time I had with him.  I could not have asked for a better companion kitty. 


Some years ago I made a Gabby calendar.  Below are the photos and quotes used in the calendar.  I hope you enjoy them in memory of Gabby.