This is a sad coincidence: last week I wrote reader Bettina, telling her that I’d like to post her cat Simon today, and asking for any update she had. She informed me on Sunday that Simon had just been killed by a dog. This is happening entirely too often around here (the same fate met Huxley), and it makes me really sad. So this post, written by Bettina, must serve as Simon’s memorial. He was a tuff cat, and I’m sorry for his loss.
Simon was a cat with many lives. He used his first life one winter when he was hit by a car, taking months to recover and keeping a limp in one back leg. His next life was a paw that wouldn’t stop bleeding and needed stitches under anesthesia. Then, he ran away while I was on vacation, and it took a month to find him. Upon returning, he nearly died of illness caused by fleas. Next, he developed an abscess the size of a ping pong ball on his face, which required surgery and tubes stitched into his cheek to help it drain. He lost his life in a fight with probably a dog on 4 June of this year, and died outside in one of his favorite spots. We (my boyfriend and I) always called him a grump because of his low tolerance for petting, puppies and kittens. But he loved to follow his humans around the neighborhood, meowing loudly if we walked faster than his gimpy legs could match. I loved him rubbing his face on my face, crying to be let out, and sneak attacking the dog from behind. He was especially fond of jumping out of the bushes and rolling in the driveway when I came home, asking for scratches and attention. He had a special personality, and I will miss him.
Thank you!
Poor Simon, poor you. There is now a cat shaped hole in your life.
Out of control dogs – the owners are irresponsible.
So sad. I’m feeling the rage and despair of my own loss welling up again. Missing Huxley and feeling sorry for you and Simon.
I’m so sorry Bettina. I’m sure Simon was a fantastic friend, and I know all too well how miserable it can be to lose a friend like that.
b&
for a number of reasons, not least of which is their own safety, neither dogs nor cats should be allowed to roam freely unsupervised. this sort of thing would be far less common if PET owners, not just dog owners, would behave responsibly.
Thanks for saying what I wanted to say
Very sad, sounds like a fun, quirky cat.
Reminds me: the show “My Cat From Hell” is on tv and the wife & I watched the first show. (I think I heard about it here.) It’s strangely endearing to see cats-owner dynamics be so bad that the cats were reacting by scratching everything in sight and attacking people but with a few weeks of help from someone that really understood them, the cats were chill, happy members of the family. It’s very sweet and some good tidbits of info.
I couldn’t have written that just a few days after it happened. I’m so sorry Bettina. And poor Simon. What a handsome tuxedo cat.
We have a couple of neighbors who let their dogs run around on occasion, so we don’t go out front much anymore. If we do, we leave the gate to the back open and the back door open, so the cats have somewhere to escape to. I’d talk to those neighbors, but they don’t speak English (Spanish & Polish).
Just call animal control. I did that because a neighbour let her three hounds roam free. After she had had to pick them up from the pound a couple of times she fixed her damn fence – with my tools and my help like I had offered before.
Maybe. I don’t want to start a war. And it’s not every day. Besides, my actual next-door neighbor, who I despise, refuses to fix his broken gate and 1 of the dogs keeps going into his backyard to take a crap. So, I’m torn…
They don’t have to know it’s you that called animal control! But yes, there is the pleasure of seeing a steaming pile on your other neighbour’s lawn.
I hate reading sad stories about animals but it’s nice to see they were loved. I’m very sorry for your loss, Bettina.
Very sorry for your loss Bettina. Brought back a painful memory (and some wonderful ones) – Much empathy!
Aww. Poor Simon. He looks so cute hiding under that towel. Sorry Bettina.
Simon and my Connery could have been identical twins.
I’m so sorry for your loss 🙁
Oh– I’m so, so sorry. Simon is such a beautiful tuxedo kitty–both photos are lovely. Thank you for telling us all about him. Hugs:-)
I had a cat just like that in college, Eddie Haskell by name, hit by a car. Reason #3 to keep your cat indoors.
[1. dead wildlife; 2. dogs; 3. cars; 4. other cats; 5. parasites]
what a great cat!!! very sad he is gone…
So sorry, Bettina–what an adorable kitteh and what wonderful pictures of him.