Hail and farwell

Shay-Shay, our odd but beloved kitty, lost a long battle with kidney disease early this morning. He followed his sister, Natasha, who went to her rest just over two months ago.

Shay was a strange fellow, born with four mis-matched feet, only three usable legs and several other congenital deformities. With a feisty--to say the least--personality, he took some getting used to, but he was sociable and, as he mellowed in a loving home, very affectionate. Until recently, one of his favorite pastimes was to lick my arm like a dog might.

Shay was chosen by my friend Rosemarie, who took him from a shelter despite his physical unconventionalities; without Rose, his life would almost certainly have been quite short. When she could not care for him, she asked me if I'd take him temporarily. That turned out to be thirteen years, in which he grew to be an integral part of our household. It sure seems quiet and empty without him.

Despite his small stature, Shay was a tough guy. He was hospitalized twice with serious kidney infections and had been battling one (with apparent success) as an outpatient when he began to fail about two weeks ago. The vet said that she didn't know another cat who would have survived even one of these challenges. He might not have looked like it, but he had the soul of his distant cousin, the lion.

Good-bye Mr. Shay. You'll always be our special guy.