Someone Else's Cat is Dead
Oct. 9th, 2008 08:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lydyChristopher, who is my best friend who isn't a fan, had a cat named Fester who I knew quite well. Fester passed away around midnight last night, in Christopher's arms. Fester was a cat I knew very well. He lived with me, on and off, during his 19 years. He was a black panther-like cat with clear feelings about his own seniority.
I met Fester because Christopher was going to Renn-fest (in Arizona, maybe?) and would be gone for three or four months. He was giving up his living situation, so he needed to stash the cat someplace while he was gone. Fester came for a visit because I had two other cats and we wanted to see how they got along. My cats were Lilith (she's my icon) and Chumley, although he wasn't called Chumley then. I believe I was calling him Monster most of the time. He was a huge cat, and very aggressive. I had scratch marks up and down my arms from trying to pet him.
In came Christopher with the cat carrier. He set it down, opened it up, and out came this long, lean, very black cat. He surveyed the room as if it were his, and stared at Chumley. Chumley hissed. Fester ignored him. Chumley came over to bat at Fester, and we were off to the races. Christopher and I were of the same mind: let's see if they can work it out. The two of them moved out of the living room into the study, making growling and howling noises and generally making us nervous. But we held tight. In about 10 minutes, Fester came back into the living room, looking suave as ever, and sat down to face us. Chumley followed not too far behind, looking chastened. They sat side by side, and Fester lowered his head a little, giving Chumley a side long glance. Chumley lowered his head so that it was lower than Fester's. Fester lowered his head so that it was even with Chumley's. Chumley lowered his. Eventually, Chumley's chin was on the floor, and Fester's was just above it. We had an accommodation.
Fester and Chumley became pretty bonded. It worked out that if Christopher were in town, he'd take both the boys. If he were out of town, I'd keep them both. Fester was always imperious, and Chumley was so totally Fester's bottom. They were funny together. Chumley was profoundly stupid, and Fester was ridiculously smart.
At one point we had to split them up, and Christopher ended up taking Fester to Renn-fest. According to Christopher, Fester would wander the campground with him, like a dog. He never got into trouble with any of the multitudinous dogs, or the other wild life, either. He had people he liked to visit, and people he didn't like to visit. Fester had an Imperious Mew, which he used to make his desires clear.
I'll miss Fester. He was 19 and not so friendly to me these last couple of years. I got the sense that he remembered me, but didn't really want to be bothered keeping up the acquaintance. Except when I was cat-sitting and I had his food. I never used this power for evil, though. Nineteen is a lot of years. It's longer than I've known Christopher, although not by much. I think that we're going to sprinkle Fester and Chumley's ashes together at some point. (I still have Chumley's. I still have Lilith's, too, but she's going to go into an urn.)
So, kind of a sad day, here.
I met Fester because Christopher was going to Renn-fest (in Arizona, maybe?) and would be gone for three or four months. He was giving up his living situation, so he needed to stash the cat someplace while he was gone. Fester came for a visit because I had two other cats and we wanted to see how they got along. My cats were Lilith (she's my icon) and Chumley, although he wasn't called Chumley then. I believe I was calling him Monster most of the time. He was a huge cat, and very aggressive. I had scratch marks up and down my arms from trying to pet him.
In came Christopher with the cat carrier. He set it down, opened it up, and out came this long, lean, very black cat. He surveyed the room as if it were his, and stared at Chumley. Chumley hissed. Fester ignored him. Chumley came over to bat at Fester, and we were off to the races. Christopher and I were of the same mind: let's see if they can work it out. The two of them moved out of the living room into the study, making growling and howling noises and generally making us nervous. But we held tight. In about 10 minutes, Fester came back into the living room, looking suave as ever, and sat down to face us. Chumley followed not too far behind, looking chastened. They sat side by side, and Fester lowered his head a little, giving Chumley a side long glance. Chumley lowered his head so that it was lower than Fester's. Fester lowered his head so that it was even with Chumley's. Chumley lowered his. Eventually, Chumley's chin was on the floor, and Fester's was just above it. We had an accommodation.
Fester and Chumley became pretty bonded. It worked out that if Christopher were in town, he'd take both the boys. If he were out of town, I'd keep them both. Fester was always imperious, and Chumley was so totally Fester's bottom. They were funny together. Chumley was profoundly stupid, and Fester was ridiculously smart.
At one point we had to split them up, and Christopher ended up taking Fester to Renn-fest. According to Christopher, Fester would wander the campground with him, like a dog. He never got into trouble with any of the multitudinous dogs, or the other wild life, either. He had people he liked to visit, and people he didn't like to visit. Fester had an Imperious Mew, which he used to make his desires clear.
I'll miss Fester. He was 19 and not so friendly to me these last couple of years. I got the sense that he remembered me, but didn't really want to be bothered keeping up the acquaintance. Except when I was cat-sitting and I had his food. I never used this power for evil, though. Nineteen is a lot of years. It's longer than I've known Christopher, although not by much. I think that we're going to sprinkle Fester and Chumley's ashes together at some point. (I still have Chumley's. I still have Lilith's, too, but she's going to go into an urn.)
So, kind of a sad day, here.
