Monday, August 18, 2008

A farewell to Amos

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post. At 2PM today, EST, just about a half hour from when I type this, my buddy Amos will no longer roam the land. Time caught up with old Amos and my parents have made the decision to put him to sleep this afternoon. He was a good pet, a great cat, and had a huge heart (as those who saw him would immediately notice, as he was also the largest cat I have ever seen in my life). Though he hasn't been "mine" since I left for college nearly 12 years ago, it is still very sad to hear this news.

We got Amos about 16 years ago. We had adopted his brother, Tigger, and learned shortly after the adoption that he had a brother that didn't take to his adopted home. We weren't in the market for two pets, but we decided to take him in anyway. It turned out to be really wonderful, as the two brothers immediately recognized each other and spent all day playing. Tigger was orange and Amos was a blond long-hair.

We lost Tigger after a couple years. His body just shut itself down one day and he faded faster than any vet could control. He was fine on a Sunday and dead by Tuesday. It was horrible. We all took it rough, but Amos seemed to be hurt most of all by the loss. He ate more and more and went from a sleek bullet of a cat to a large, rolly-polly feline. But he was still Amos, still always wanted to be cuddled, still wanted to be scratched on the belly.

We ended up getting Soma, a female tiger cat, as a new companion to Amos. They tolerated each other, but the spark that was between brothers never blossomed between the new roommates. Now, I imagine Soma will be at a loss, as will my parents. She's alone now.  

So, hug your pets tonight. Tell them you love them. Sometimes they mean more to you than you realize. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry to hear of Amos' passing. I agree that he was a sweet cat and I know your mom and Soma and even your Dad (although he may not admit it) will miss him. I am sure your dad will be happy that there won't be anymore accidents on the bed ;)
I often wonder why we get pets. It is so hard on us when they leave the world. Maybe we keep getting pets even though it hurts because they are one of the few creatures that love us no matter what!

Ben said...

I think you're right. No matter how bad a day you've had, a pet doesn't care.

Judo For Make Love said...

I'd love to hear about what happened in that exact moment that Tigger and Amos recognized each other when they were reintroduced. It seems like such a human experience, to recognize someone from your past in an entirely unfamiliar setting and sometimes it takes a few moments to make the connection that this person in front of you is someone that you know. I imagine Tigger, scratching his head for a second to think, "now where do I know that face from?" before jumping up to greet a timid Amos. I just think it would be really interesting to observe the wheels turning as these two cats first see each other again.