RIP my old lump, Jason, aka Jasonie de Baconie and Fluffy Tummy.
Posted by
Covington (aka CovingtonCat)
Oct 23 '18, 05:19
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Born in Salem, MA, approx. Aug. 19, 2004, Jason and his brother Mitchell were found hanging around a woman's garage. They'd both been neutered and, when brought to the shelter, were estimated to be about 9 months old. Before taking them to the shelter the woman tried to take them into her home but Mitchell kept trying to climb up her drapes.
When we first saw them Jason (then named Dolittle by the shelter) was laying in the litter box and looked angry. Mitchell (at that time, Dudley) was at the bars, watching everything. We held Mitchell and wanted him but the shelter only adopted cats in pairs unless there was already a cat in the home. So we brought them both home.
Mitchell took to his new home right away. Jason - not so much. He just layed in a corner by the door most of the time and would not look at you. I spent a lot of time on the floor with him, trying to engage him. I also struggled to determine his true name. (I have this thing where I spend time with a new cat and figure out what his/her name is or should be.) Jason was just Lump for a while. I think we went maybe a month or more before he became Jason.
Less than 2 years later we were in Kentucky. By this time Jason had become less of a lump and a little more of a cat. I can't tell you how many times I came home to find toilet paper everywhere. I still don't know if he was having fun or just doing something to piss me off. Even when I was in the bathroom he would come in and start shredding the roll or pulling the end out of the bathroom. And he would not answer to his name.
He loved the car ride from Boston. He would put his front paws on the back seat arm rest and just watch the world go by. His brother cried most of the trip.
We got an apartment that, had it been freestanding, would be described as shotgun. There was a hallway that was 50' long. Jason became a runner. Back and forth. Back and forth. He loved running. And those of you who have cats know how that sounds. He began playing with the cat toys, sometimes batting them down the hall or running with one in his mouth. His brother would sit and look at him like, who is this crazy person?
And he began responding to his name.
Generally, he was still pretty laidback. He didn't like to be held but he loved getting his butt spanked. If you could get him to stay in one place you would tire out your arm before he was satisfied. We had to hide the toys that had feathers or else he'd pull every feather off and eat them.
When we moved into this house he was able to go outside again, in the enclosed space in the back of the house. I was always chasing him away from certain plants that he wanted to eat. Sometimes I didn't get to him in time and he would throw it up when he got back inside. (Same thing with those canisters of cat grass. We had to hold the canister while he chewed. Otherwise, he'd pull everything out.) He loved laying in the shade, just watching.
He and his brother were inseperable. But sometimes they fought, as cats do. Poor Mitchell, who thinks he's the Alpha. Jason was really the top cat, even though he ruled in silence. He rarely meowed, usually only when he was in the car going to the vet but then only a few meows, then quiet again. His brother did all the talking for the two of them.
When Jennifer came into our lives he took her in much faster than Mitchell. They slept together and Jennifer had thing for Jason's ears - the insides were always clean. Jason put up with this, even seeming to enjoy it. When it got to be too much he would put a paw around her neck and pull her down close to him so he could groom her.
When Jennifer died we decided, after a while, it was time for a new cat. This cat would be the companion for a brother should something happen to the other one. Jason was diagnosed with a heart murmur about 4 years ago and was on a blood pressure medication. He went to a specialist twice a year. One visit he'd get an x-ray, the next an ultrasound. These were to check the progress of the leaky heart valve he had. The vet said he was immortal because he was doing so well on the medication and wasn't expected to live beyond a year or two. Jason was pretty good about taking his pill, even when it went up to a whole pill twice a day. We put it in a pill pocket and stuck a couple cat treats on the outside. That was because every once in a while he would spit the pill out. The treats made him chew and he didn't notice the pill so much. If we were late giving him a pill he would go find someone to let us know it was time.
Yesterday he was just fine. He was even playing tag with Jimmy, who he usually ignored. The cats get treats every evening and he ate his as usual. A few minutes later he was downstairs, laying on the floor, breathing heavily. I picked him up and he didn't fight me as he often did. I put him back down and his back legs collapsed under him.
We googled heart failure in cats to confirm what I suspected - that his heart was finally giving out. Fortunately, the specialist is in a facility that's open 24 hours. We called and they said to bring him in.
When we got there he started yowling - a sound I'd never heard from him. The vet checked him out and said it appeared a blood clot had traveled down his back, affecting his legs, something not uncommon with his condition. The yowls were coming from pain. She said they could admit him and set him up with an IV of blood thinner so see if the clot broke up. She said very few cats left the hospital with this condition and when they did they didn't have the use of their back legs and the likelihood of another clot happening within 6 month was high.
So it was time to say goodbye. I will miss my lump with the fluffiest tummy I've ever seen. The pic here is from a few years ago but he never seemed to age. He always let us rub his tummy when he laid like this but would always roll over and present butt for spanking. I'll miss his head butts of my leg when I'm at my desk, letting me know it's time for his pill or another spanking.
I'm going to the vet this morning to pick him up and take him to our regular vet. That vet has a farm that's been put into a trust so it will never be developed. That land is where Jennifer is buried and where Jason will now go to get his ears cleaned again.
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Responses:
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Deepest condolences from me, Mojo, and the Minion :( -- nm
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Meg
Oct 23, 08:16
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Sorry :( -- nm
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Beryllium
Oct 23, 07:07
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sorry for your loss. What a wonderful story. -- nm
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Epiphany
Oct 23, 07:05
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*sniff* So dusty in here. Thanks for sharing. -- nm
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Blake Baron-tles
Oct 23, 06:48
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So sorry for your loss. :-( -- nm
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Krusty
Oct 23, 06:19
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That is a lovely tribute, he sounds like a great cat. So very sorry. -- nm
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Andie
Oct 23, 06:16
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ahh, that is really nice and sorry for your loss. -- nm
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Beaker
Oct 23, 06:05
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Aw, that’s one of the better obituaries I’ve read, human or animal. 😪 -- nm
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mafic
Oct 23, 05:26
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