I'm not sure when he was born exactly. But Owen came into our lives about a year and a half ago. He was still a baby.A farm kitten, to be precise. I had always thought that we were doing him a favor by bringing him home. And, we were. Saving him from coyotes or whatever...at least that was the thought at the time.
We had enough animals. But, Lisa was down, and I thought maybe a baby kitty would help. And he did.
He was one of those cats. You know what I mean. Always into stuff, fighting with the other cats. Brodie, our "dad" of the group took to him as his own though. And he really loved the dogs. Especially Henry, our giant lab mix. The other cats though? No. Lexi, one of our females just never got used to him. Chase, my Jack Russell, had taken to breaking up the fights after awhile. Keeping the peace.
And then there was the spraying. Male cats do it as a territorial thing. If you get them fixed young, it tends to stop it. In most cats. Not all. Owen was one of the few that it didn't. I'm sure it had to do with stress, as the other cats kept him on his toes. But it wasn't fun. Those of you that have dealt with such things know how bad it is. But, we survived. There had been talk of getting rid of him...but that's just not in our nature. I truly believe that if you take an animal into your home, it's now YOUR responsibility. And he was after all, family.
I know what you're thinking. What a terrible cat to keep. Well, I can see that. But what I also saw was this...
Haley LOVED him. She's had many animals in her life, but she never took to any of them like she did him. She protected him. Took extra care of him. He was a sweet soul. Often cuddling with us or the dogs at night. Lying in your armpit and purring himself to sleep. He would give you kisses too...something no other cat we have would do. He was just different. Sweeter. Nicer. Never afraid to be held.
We have a big fenced in area behind our house. The dogs go out there often. Lately, Owen had been trying to sneak out with them. He always stayed in the fence...well, almost always. He finally found a way over and a way back. To be honest, I thought being out might be good for him. It would give him some freedom and space away from the other cats. A break from the stress and the fights. He'd always slowly wander back in. It was no big deal.
A few days ago he was throwing up. Cats puke. A bunch. Hairballs...upset stomach...it's just how they are. I really didn't think anything of it. He had been outside so much that I figured it was just grass or something he had eaten. Yesterday, he ran out with the dogs, as eager as ever. No issues. He had spent the night next to Lisa and I. He seemed ok.
That afternoon, everyone was home from work and school. It was rainy. I told Haley she should probably find him and bring him in, because of the rain. My afternoon was shattered by Haley's cries. Our sweet, baby kitty was in the shed. He was already gone.
We will never know what happened to Owen. Odds are, he got into something he shouldn't have. In my internet searching, I have found that there are a million things that are toxic to cats. Even moldy compost. Toads. Chocolate. And who knows what cars in the neighborhood were leaking what. It just is what it is. And he's gone. It would be easy to feel guilty. Just to think we should have just kept him in. And that's probably true. But who knew? Anyone of them could bolt out the front door tomorrow...and it's a busy street out there.
The animal lover in me will always battle with what seems to be my pragmatic, common sense controlled side. There is so much risk involved with letting these little souls into your life. Sickness, disease, cars, toxins, poisons...even giving birth. All of these things are dangerous to them. But the reward is great. And the smiles and peace they give me is worth the effort.
We love you Owen. Haley will miss you always. Your beautiful yellow eyes. Your silly broken tip tail. I'm sorry we couldn't protect you from whatever it was that took your life. But I will forever be grateful for the joy and the memories you brought us. It was a short year and a half. But you will never be forgotten.
Rest well little man...until we meet again.
