My Valentine Baby

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

For all you cat lovers, you will understand. Yesterday my one of my babies died. My heart can’t even find the words to write right now (my husband understood and gave me those words to say). He was my valentine baby, born in our closet on Valentines Day 2014. And he was a lover, very affectionate!

His name was Tigger but he had more nicknames than any of my other cats: Tigg, Wigg, Wigger, Wigg Wigg, Baby Baby…

Wigger almost didn’t survive the first 2 months of his life, barely surviving the cat sickness that often takes the lives of infant kitties. Then before we moved from Hawaii, he was hit by a car and almost died again. Just when we thought we would have to put him down, he started recovering. Within the first two years in Moses Lake, he got really sick and almost died again. Nevertheless, he was full of life, loved to be outdoors hunting and exploring or indoors getting his mama fix. He just loved to cuddle and suck on my ear. Talk about wet willies from a cat!

He and Macska rarely got along. Tigger’s mom, Sammy, a feral cat, did not like or even tolerate Macska, so it was hard for Macska to get along with Sammy’s babies. In fact, we had to send Sammy back outside before the babies were 3 months old, it got so bad. Macska would often chase Tigger around the house, until he got big enough to chase her back. We would watch them switch back and forth. There were times when we had to separate the two when their tussle got just a little overheated.

When we hit the road with our RV home, Tigger went ballistic. He did not like to travel. He sure showed his colors in that department when we flew from Hawaii to the mainland. The airlines had the cats in carriers under the seat in front of us. Macska was a real trooper and never complained. Tigg on the other hand, didn’t stop crying the moment the plane started to move. This time, we were the parents with the crying baby that wouldn’t be pacified. Moreover, on ascent and decent, he literally screamed bloody murder. Have you ever heard a cat scream bloody murder before? I hadn’t.

With each trip we made in the RV, hope was dying that Tigg would adapt. In fact, he was getting more agitated with each trip, long or short. We tried EVERYTHING! In between Story Barn events we parked our RV out at my sister Renee’s house. We loved parking there with lots of room, out in the country. Tigg loved it there as well. He thrived. Therefore, six months ago, I made the heart-wrenching decision to leave Tigg there.

At first, whenever we would come back, he would be glad to see us and come running home. After a few times, he didn’t even want to come to the RV. If I was outside or in Renee’s house he came back to mama, but not in the RV. So, when we left Washington, we left Tigg behind. I wept.

Tigg had a great life at my sisters. Soon he had her wrapped around his little paw. She spoiled him, loved him and sent me photos. I was very grateful. Then yesterday Tim got the call. Tigg had some kind of seizure and was gone in an instant. He hadn’t even used up his 9 lives!

Let me share with you a humorous story about the two:

Macska, my Canadian lady, is a beautiful lady and she knows it! She wants you to adore her. Eating and sleeping are her favorite pastimes. Tigger, my Hawaiian baby, is all male, a real hunter and a lover. When baby chicks were roaming free around the neighborhood we had to keep him inside. Hawaii is full of free-roaming hens. Sometimes they would be seen with a trail of chicks following behind. Tigger’s daily ritual was bringing home “gifts”, not just birds and mice but also baby chicks as well. So, you see, both cats are as different as night and day.

My cats get fed twice a day, kibbles in the morning and some meat with the kibbles at night. Macska has learned to “say please”, on command. She holds up her front paw to receive her dinner. She complies almost every time at the first request. Tigger, on the other hand, is a different story. I couldn’t get him to raise his paw for anything. Even aiding him by lifting his paw day after day, week after week was unsuccessful. He was clueless! So, I tried just having him look at me. The first 6 years he wouldn’t even look up in response to his name. Even taping on his head would get nowhere. What a space cadet. His hearing was fine, for he came when called. Finally, after repeated tries he would look up. Macska was so patient as she had to wait for him. I must say, his not responding caused her sometimes to get vocal and she is not a vocal cat.

After he finally established the habit to look up Macska started rebelling from time to time. Sometimes she would look up but not raise her paw. She never got away with it though because she knows better. On this particular day I went to give them a treat. They know that word. They love that word. They were told to say please. Both looked up but Macska didn’t raise her paw. “Macska, say please,” I encouraged. No response, except for a shifting of her two front paws. “Macska, say please.”

This time Tigger was having to wait. Tigger looked at her, meowed, raised his paw and looked at me. She looked at him then meowed, raised her paw and looked at me. I was dumbfounded.

The student had become the teacher.

My baby will be greatly missed. But I am very grateful to Renee’ and Jim for taking him, giving him so much love, and spoiling him rotten. Thank you, Renee,’ and Jim!!!

Blessings, mari