Gandalf
There isn’t a gentle way to say that our cat Gandalf passed away last week. We knew it was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier. The house is empty, and more poignantly so is my lap. He was at least 15 years old (I can’t keep track) and stayed with us through two other cats, a dog, a marriage and a divorce. . . We got the cat from a friend who has a farm. He was a “special needs” kitten. He was the only one of the litter who survived. Mom cat was a little too genetically close to the father. He was polydactylic, but none of his feet matched in numbers of toes. .
His rear legs were sensitive, his kneecaps floated leaving the nerves exposed. His hips were displaced and he walked with an odd gate. We called him a Cabbit because he would hop like a rabbit to get around. . . He was going to be Orion’s cat and so on the way to get him I asked Orion if he’d thought about names. Orion announced the cat’s name would be Gandalf. I thought maybe he’d want to see the cat first, get to know him a little. No. As always Orion was sure, and right.
. Although he was careful about letting people pick him up, Gandalf was a social cat. He was always interested in visitors and willing to make friends. Because of his disability he wasn’t likely to jump into a lap without an invitation, but he was happy to cuddle up and get some attention.
. . . When we got him, given all his congenial defects, we didn’t expect him to live so long.I’m so glad he did. We’re going to miss him.
Posted on April 28, 2014, in Bio and tagged cat, Death, loss, pet. Bookmark the permalink. 18 Comments.
Sorry to hear about your kitty. Sounds like you gave him a great life!
Thank you
I’m so sorry. Losing a pet is just a misery.
It is.
So heartbreaking to lose a sweet soul like this….
Thank you
I’m so sorry again, Lisa. We’re never ready to be without someone we love.
Thanks again Andra
Oh, dear Lisa, I am SO sorry you lost sweet Gandalf. When I love my cat Tashi, it nearly killed me. Sending you lots of love, my friend.
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
Thank you
Sorry to hear about him you guys. He really was a wonderful kitty.
I am so sorry to hear about your beloved Gandalf passing. There’s a special place in our hearts for our animal companions, and when they’ve crossed over, it can be so hard. Sending blessings!
Thank you
Lisa, I’m glad you got to enjoy life with Gandalf for so long. He truly sounds like a very special cat and was lucky to have found you.
Thank you. We were lucky to have him.
I’ve been away from blogging for a while so just read this post. I’m so sorry to hear about Gandalf’s passing. I have a dog who means the world to me so know what it’s like to share your life with an animal. You clearly gave him a wonderful life.
Thank you. It’s always hard to lose a good friend.
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