Sweet Spirit

On May 17, 2003 this sweet kitty was born. And on August 9, twelve weeks later, he came to live with us. Anna and I went to an adoption fair, thinking we were just going to look, but once we saw this precious little fur ball, we were hooked. That was $40 well spent! (And of course, that was only the beginning of the money!) 

(and anybody who knows me and my house knows how amazing it is that I actually found this, without even looking for it today!)

Anna and I were the only ones totally onboard with this decision originally. The males in the household were/are more dog people. (Adam remains steadfastly in that camp!) Eventually Daniel and then Rick came around. Look at this precious little thing! How could you not love him?

Spirit came into our house in part as a compromise to Anna. She was going to school 25 miles from our house and really wanted to move to be closer to her friends (aren’t we glad now we did not do that?!), so the cat she also wanted became my concession. I confess that I was particularly drawn to Spirit because he reminded me of a cat I had as a child. Poor Alfalfa was the victim of rogue dogs; I can still hear my Daddy digging a grave outside my bedroom window one cold night in Boone when I was in bed with strep throat!

From the very beginning, Spirit liked to occupy small spaces. A bag or basket. Even a piece of paper. I think that must be a habit of cats in general but Spirit is the only cat I have ever lived with. (Well, I had a short-term roommate who, without asking me first,  brought home a kitten many years ago. I was terribly allergic and could hardly breathe for the weeks he was in our apartment! I guess love for Spirit– and possibly my advanced age!– trumped my allergies.) We were all fascinated with and amused by his antics.

Christmas was a particular favorite of Spirit’s. He didn’t care much for Thanksgiving because for most of his life we hosted between 35 and 50 people for the feast. He loved his family fiercely but was not a fan of strangers, so this deluge sent him into hiding for hours. But come December, he was all about the trees… sleeping under them, climbing in them. He also liked the wrapping paper.

 

And yes, it is entirely possible that he was allowed on the dining room table at least long enough for me to snap a picture! 

Spirit shared my enthusiasm for bird-watching, although I am not sure his intentions were as pure as mine! But he would spend hours lying on the rug at the front door, watching intently. He also liked to perch on the back of a chair and keep an eye on the shrubbery where birds nested.

If business was slow, he might fall asleep! 😉

And sleep? The boy could sleep! What contortions he could get into. And how soundly he could sleep. Anywhere. Any time. When I had my bunions removed, he slept between my feet. Whenever he slept with any of us, we would allow him to take over the bed and wouldn’t dare move him! I guess that was a holdover from being afraid to waken a sleeping baby (which didn’t happen often in my house!).

Spirit loved to explore and climb. He loved going into our admittedly disaster-zone basement. He could leap from the floor to the countertops to the refrigerator to the soffit above the cabinets. He went through spurts of those acrobatics. He loved Anna’s hair scrunchies and could find them anywhere! He also loved pushing pencils off the countertops. At any point in time, there have probably been a half dozen or so in the floor, behind the refrigerator, etc. We bought him toys, but they were rarely as interesting as our things! Only once did I find him in the clothes dryer, not too long ago. He still enjoyed those small spaces. Often he would sit on the newel at the bottom of the stairs. For a period a few years ago, he started chasing his tail while sitting there. I don’t have video of that, but it was quite entertaining! We were afraid he would get tangled up and get hurt, but it was still amusing to watch– knowing we could rescue him if necessary. But that post also offered him a good view of his surroundings.

Those stairs were a favorite hangout. He could keep track of all the comings and goings, enjoy the sunshine from the Palladian window, and find (apparently) lots of comfortable positions.

For a little more than fifteen years, Spirit shared our home and our lives. At various times, he was a comfort and companion to the four of us. (Adam was already away in college when Spirit joined us.) We talked to him, played with him, let him take over our beds, enlisted the help of neighbors whenever all of us were gone (thanks, Wellses!) and paid the price for leaving him. He was healthy for most of his life. We had one scare which took us to the emergency vet (of course it happened on a weekend!) but that was short-lived. In the last few years he developed am expensive thyroid condition that cost more each month than what the three of us who also take thyroid medicine spend in total, but he was worth it. (And part of his legacy will be our donation of a recently received $100 order to an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s whose cat needs the same medicine.) Spirit had an excellent report after his physical this summer, but with a note that there might be indications of potential kidney problems to come in the next year.

Thursday he was bounding up and down the stairs, eating well, keeping Rick company as he recovers from surgery, and nearly tripping me as he ran past me once on the steps. But Friday morning, October 19, I found him lying peacefully in the hallway upstairs. I knew he was gone as soon as I saw him. Our veterinarian and another vet friend both say it was probably his heart or a blood clot. Whatever it was, we have been assured, there is nothing we could have done and it was a peaceful end.

Fifteen years is a long time, and he was faithful to the end. We love him and will miss him. Godspeed, Spirit!