Taken Way Too Soon

Last Saturday, our cat Elmore James started acting odd. He became extremely lethargic and not his usual asshole self.

We took him to the vet early Monday. They told us he had a fever and likely a viral infection, and started him on antibiotics and an IV.

Later in the day they called to say he was doing well. Up and moving around and loving on the clinic staff, but they wanted to keep him another nifht for observation.

In the morning they called to tell us he'd worsened. Fever was back up and he was lethargic and jaundiced. More antibiotics and another IV, and another night for observation.

That was the last we heard all day.

Got a call the following morning. They took him into surgery to take fluid buildup off of his lungs, and he passed away on the table.

This little butthead was the bane of my existence. He woke us up daily at 4:45. He meowed louder than any cat I ever knew. He would lick our eyes and pull stuff off the walls to get us to wake up and let him out.

I cussed at him and threatened to murder him on a daily basis.

He couls be the biggest asshole ever, but his natural defense was that he was just so goddamn cute.

He loved and tormented us all, especially his big sister Phoebe. Here they are in their matching Christmas jam-jams.

Part of me thinks he died on purpose to spite me, because he was just that anti-authority.

In the end the vet says it looked like COVID, but we still don't know.

We got here before he did, but he made it clear that he owned this place.

If you were a lizard, frog, snake, bird, or chipmunk, or even a big-ass turtle you weren't safe from him. He ran this land and took out everything in his way.

He wasn't even three years old. We thought he'd be here a long long time.

I've had a number of cats throughout my life. I loved them all. None of them had a personality like this guy.

His name was Elmore. His nickname was Meowboy. Or Butthead, depending on whether he was being sweet or destroying our garden. He was the best goddamn cat I ever knew and our lives will nevsr be the same without him.
I'm not crying, you're cr... No, wait. I'm crying.

He'll be cremated and his ashed scattered on this land he loved and roamed.

Goodbye, Meowboy.