Another wee gentle soul has passed through our lives

My mother had to put another Companion Animal down. :-(

When my mother could afford it, she used to foster cats and dogs; so besides her own two cats and three dogs, there was always a gang trooping in and out. She's good at taking a nervous or traumatized dog and calming them down and getting them ready for a new Forever Home.

Of course when you foster you sometimes end up with new little fellas in your life, little dudes who they couldn't find a home for, or just suited the household well. And they're often oldy animals. So all my mums furbabies are around the same age, which means they're getting sick and dying at the same time!

My mum had 8 animals:

Mystery & Purdy: her two original cats
Sassy, Eddy & Rocky: her dogs
Oasis & Chino: two "foster" cats
Thor: a "foster" dog

Oasis died last winter or spring--my mum spent a lot of money trying to save him, but he passed away anyway. Thor then died of a heart attack. Then when I was visiting last spring we realized Purdy would have to be put down, she had advanced kidney disease. And now Chino. He's slowed down a lot in the last few months, and on my second to last day he was throwing up and not eating.

I was really sad when I left my mum's last Thursday cause I didn't think I'd ever see Chino again. He was such a funny little guy, I adored him.

When I wasn't there, no one was allowed in the upstairs room (the garret!) cause the cats treat it like a big ole litter box. !! But when I'm there I open it up for business and they behave. We started to call it the Kit Kat Club, cause all three cats loved to hang out there. Especially Chino.

Chino on the bed, Mystery on the chair

Sometimes if I was watching TV downstairs with my mum, Chino would come and nag me to come upstairs. Here's the guilt inducing look. Sometimes with a scratchy meow.

Here he's resigned to hang with us for awhile. (That's Rocky in the background.)

He rarely cuddled on my lap like this. He preferred to be slung over my shoulder.

This cat had the funniest expressions. Often I'd talk to him and he wouldn't look at me or react at all, as though he couldn't hear me. He wasn't playing it cool--I think he enjoyed messing with me.

And when he would look, he often had an alarmed look on his face, as though life were a continual surprise. (This is the look!)

Trying out a new spot.

Chino's bad legs were weak so he had to pull himself up on things; so mum wouldn't cut his nails. If he were a Bond villain his name would have been Mista Nails. That's what I called him sometimes. But usually Chino Beano. And my mum called him Chino-baby. "Heyyy Chino-baby!" He liked that.

I can intellectually understand that some people don't want to have an animal to care for. ...I canNOT understand how some people don't like animals at all. ...But in my heart, I don't understand why the whole world doesn't FLIP for animals. They're all unique, and interesting, and most of the time sweeties--each in their own way. Chino wasn't demonstrative, but when I'd pick him up I'd put my head against his body and close my eyes and listen to him PURR PURR PURR. It felt like I was filling up my batteries.

Well, at least he had Purdy waiting in kitty heaven to boss him around. And Oasis for him to boss around. We'll miss you lots Chino Beano!