R.I.P. Tabby There were few cats in the history of cats that were as happy as Tabby. Tabby was Mrs. Robot's childhood cat that she brought home 18+ years ago as a kitten in a cardboard box. She had an idyllic life being that she was an indoor/outdoor cat - she had a big yard, a beagle to play with, and humans to let her in and out of the house when ever she pleased.
Things about Tabs
- She always hung out in the house in the evening, usually curled up next to someone on the couch where you she would roll on her side and let your scratch her belly. She'd purr really loud.
- There was a second story little porch off the living room. If the family was in the living room watching TV and she wanted in, she would show up at that door. No one was exactly sure how she got up on the second floor porch - it was pretty high up. Either she used the tree that was kind of near the front of the house, or she shimmied up the wooden supports, or she was able to work out this acrobatic feat jumping from the ground to the first story window and then somehow up to the porch. That mystery was never solved.
- She would come with you to bed, but wake you up around 3am or so to go back out. Most likely to pee, but also to hunt around the woods for things awake at that hour.
- She would show up again in the morning and demand the left over milk in your cereal bowl.
- When her humans still had their beagle, they would play together in the front yard. Very often Tabby would get on the beagle's back and ride around the yard (the beagle was a bit, ahem, large). Neither of them acted like it was unusual for a cat to ride on the back of a dog.
- She was small, tiny compared to some of our friend's indoor cats. She had a stocky frame and very little fat. She never really changed except for the year when her humans were moving into a new house, and lived in an apartment in town.
- We saw her last weekend. She slept with us and purred so loud that it was almost hard to sleep. The doctor thinks she was losing her hearing, which may explain why her purring and meows seemed to be getting louder and louder. She woke me up at 3am and we had to let her out.
Mrs. Robot's mom said Tabby appeared to be losing weight. Mom let her outside Monday and that was the last they saw of her. You always hear stories about cats and dogs leaving to go die somewhere, and they assume that is what happened to her. Their house is on a huge piece of land surrounded by woods where she would explore and you just have to imagine that she had a little favorite spot somewhere.
Sad. The moles in the yard are breathing a sigh of relief.
Rest in peace friendly cat. You had a great 18 years of cat fun. If I have to come back as an animal in a future life, I'll come back as you.
