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Saturday, February 10, 2018

Goodfellows52: Tabby was the cat's meow

Goodfellows52: Tabby was the cat's meow: "Cats have it all - admiration, an endless sleep, and company only when they want it."  — Rod McKuen AUBUR...

Tabby was the cat's meow




"Cats have it all - admiration, an endless sleep, and company only when they want it." 

— Rod McKuen



AUBURN — I will miss Tabby’s wake-up calls when he bounded into our bed and demanded to be fed every sunrise.

He was a stickler when it came to his breakfast. After eating, he hopped in the bathtub to drink from the tap. Sipping from a a bowl of water was too bourgeois for this upper-class cat.

Whenever I see a bottle cap, I will think of our rambunctious cat that treated plastics tops like pucks. It batted them all over the living room like an NHL player at the Boston Garden. 

I am still finding the caps under furniture.

We stubbornly let 15-year-old Tabby go after a tumor was choking off his breathing. My wife made the agonizing decision to have Tabby put down. I was not in the room. I was home fighting off a severe cold. 

We believed it would be a routine visit to the vets for Tabby and the sawbones would prescribe an antibiotic and our cat would return home to occupy the couch or recliner.

Terri spent those last mournful moments saying goodbye to animal she adored. I always say Terri is more courageous than I could every be. 

We shared our tears because this cantankerous cat shared 15 years of his full life with this grateful family of three. 

I enjoyed gently squeezing Tabbys’ head or being on the receiving end of one his loving head butts. I tried to startle him more than once while he was sleeping with one of his toys, but he would look up and give me that look: “Beat it dumb ass! I am sleeping!”

Terri enjoyed rousting him and he could get real ornery with my wife, who loved his playful nature.

He had charm, stealth and could be a real wise ass. He brought dead animals to our doorstep, proving he was one sleek predator and assassin who decreased the rodent population to earn his keep.

He constantly begged for treats and used his good looks and wide eyes to get his way with us. We almost always gave into Tabby.

Who could say no!

Growing up, Tabby was a climber who scaled our trees and mysteriously found his way to our roof top more than once to look down upon us mere mortals. He also found his own way down — another puzzle that will remain unresolved for all eternity.

Pets are a timeline in our lives. Tabby was the subject of countless pictures and loved being around our son who loved that furball. Anthony grew up with Tabby and the two developed mutual respect for each other.

He was family and he let you know it. Tabby took us on his terms. Cats are autonomous and famous for calling the shots in any household. I was never a cat person, but Tabby won me over because he was so damn cute and had the smarts of a clever mountain lion.

When pets die, the house suddenly feels empty. We still look for him on the porch or on top of a bed. I want to hear him purr one last time as he buries himself under the warm covers of our bed and disrupts our sleep cycle.

We fight back the tears when we think of him.

In time, we will find another cat, but Tabby was one of kind in our eyes — and he really can’t be replaced.

Pets, like humans, leave us, but memories of these four-legged wonders remain cherished forever and give us incentive to go on enjoy the little things in life.


For the last week or so, Tabby fought for each breath to remain with us, but another spring with him won’t happen. Like Terri, Tabby had courage and love that makes them both oh so special to me.

Out and about

Take a walk on the wild side around New England's outdoors. Come walk with my son and I as we explore state parks, historic sites, and creepy cemeteries. This is the good stuff in life, and there is nothing worth watching on television, anyway. Join us as we take advantage of Maine's beaches and pristine forests. In between our sojourns through the Pine Tree State, look for political insight and a few well-written opinion pieces as well.