I've had my cat, Tomnus since he was 6 months old and he would have been 15 in October...but sadly he won't see it. He was diagnosed with nstage lymphoma about a month ago and I was told at that time that he maybe had months left before I should put him down and not let him suffer to a natural end. After that I told him to let me know when it was time and when he was ready to go. He's been meowing non stop since yesterday afternoon when I'm home unless its one of the rare times he gets comfortable enough to sleep. He stopped eating on a regular basis over a week ago and I've manage to get maybe 4 meals in in the last week. I am pretty sure he's telling me that its time and he's ready. So I am going to be putting him down.
I got him when I was 22 years old and in college. I had just gotten my own apartment and the day I got him I was headed home from shopping an hour and a half away from campus. From the highway I saw the "Cats for sale" sign and figured I would just look, I had no intention of buying a kitten. I get into the store and he was sleeping with his litter mates, just curled up in the cutest ball of kittens I've ever seen. The store clerk asked me if I wanted to hold one of them and I said sure so they picked him up and handed to me. He still had the just woke up so I'm going to feel like I weigh 20x what I do when I held him. He instantly started purring, reached up and pulled the glasses off my face, and started to chew on the stem of my glasses. I knew right then and there I would be coming home with a cat.
We have been inseparable since, he was my study buddy in college, often times sitting on my homework or sitting and checking my work for mistakes. He trained my friends to say "Hi tom" when he walked across the keyboard and sent them gibberish messages on AIM. He would curl up and watch the Packer's games with me until my cheering/yelling got to loud and he had to get away from it. When it was finals and I was super stressed he would come and sit on my chest and purr so loudly his entire body would vibrate and force me to take study breaks. My family had a cottage 3 hours from where I went to school and there were many weekends and weeks during summer break spent up there, him and I, relaxing by the lake. He would watch me while I fished and would snuggle with me while we watched the sunsets over the water. He LOVED the screened in portch and laying on the picnic table we had out there by the window and watching the birds and squirrels and deer. Anytime I went to visit my parents back in Chicago he was my copilot ready to go on yet another adventure and go see "grandma and grandpa." He would make sure I stayed awake for the 3.5 hour drive.
He was there when I moved back to Illinois and started taking care of my parents who had some health things going on after I graduated from college. And two years later when I got hit by a car and broke both bones in my leg and dislocated my ankle he would sleep next to my leg and make sure no one bumped it or I wouldn't walk on it. If anyone got to close to me he would hiss at them and swat at them. He was there when I met my girlfriend that turned into my wife that turned into my ex wife. He was there when I met my kids for the first time and helped me raise them through there teen years(they were 13, 11, and 10 when I met them). He survived 3 teenagers in the house with me and would be my shelter from the storm of teenage hormones....and wife hormones.
When my wife decided to sleep with my best friend when we brought him off the streets during the shut down at the beginning of covid, yes he was there. He was there when for 2 months straight I balled myself to sleep holding him. He would just purr and let me hold him until I fell asleep. He was there when I dealt with being suicidal and wanting to kill myself and was one of the reasons I never carried out those plans.
He was there when I got up to 509 pounds and was killing myself with food. He would perch on my desk and watch me eat and hide from my kids and wife. He was there when I decided to start trying to get healthy and he was able to see me loose 130 pounds and turn my life around. I am so happy that he got to see me change my lifestyle and get to know that I will be okay when he's gone and that I'll continue to lose to honor him and the journey I started with him.
And a week and a half ago he finally got to meet my grandson for the first time. I have to say after raising three teenagers and knowing that they started out like him he was VERY skeptical of him. "Your cute now but I've seen what you turn into....and if your anything like your mom I'm not going through that again." I think in those moments he was almost glad to be dying so he didn't have to do it again lol. He was like "Yep good luck with that dad, I'm out and your on your own for that one."
I'm sorry to ramble I just needed to get this out and allow myself to feel the feelings that writing this has brought up. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read all that he was there for...I know he appreciates it.
I got him when I was 22 years old and in college. I had just gotten my own apartment and the day I got him I was headed home from shopping an hour and a half away from campus. From the highway I saw the "Cats for sale" sign and figured I would just look, I had no intention of buying a kitten. I get into the store and he was sleeping with his litter mates, just curled up in the cutest ball of kittens I've ever seen. The store clerk asked me if I wanted to hold one of them and I said sure so they picked him up and handed to me. He still had the just woke up so I'm going to feel like I weigh 20x what I do when I held him. He instantly started purring, reached up and pulled the glasses off my face, and started to chew on the stem of my glasses. I knew right then and there I would be coming home with a cat.
We have been inseparable since, he was my study buddy in college, often times sitting on my homework or sitting and checking my work for mistakes. He trained my friends to say "Hi tom" when he walked across the keyboard and sent them gibberish messages on AIM. He would curl up and watch the Packer's games with me until my cheering/yelling got to loud and he had to get away from it. When it was finals and I was super stressed he would come and sit on my chest and purr so loudly his entire body would vibrate and force me to take study breaks. My family had a cottage 3 hours from where I went to school and there were many weekends and weeks during summer break spent up there, him and I, relaxing by the lake. He would watch me while I fished and would snuggle with me while we watched the sunsets over the water. He LOVED the screened in portch and laying on the picnic table we had out there by the window and watching the birds and squirrels and deer. Anytime I went to visit my parents back in Chicago he was my copilot ready to go on yet another adventure and go see "grandma and grandpa." He would make sure I stayed awake for the 3.5 hour drive.
He was there when I moved back to Illinois and started taking care of my parents who had some health things going on after I graduated from college. And two years later when I got hit by a car and broke both bones in my leg and dislocated my ankle he would sleep next to my leg and make sure no one bumped it or I wouldn't walk on it. If anyone got to close to me he would hiss at them and swat at them. He was there when I met my girlfriend that turned into my wife that turned into my ex wife. He was there when I met my kids for the first time and helped me raise them through there teen years(they were 13, 11, and 10 when I met them). He survived 3 teenagers in the house with me and would be my shelter from the storm of teenage hormones....and wife hormones.
When my wife decided to sleep with my best friend when we brought him off the streets during the shut down at the beginning of covid, yes he was there. He was there when for 2 months straight I balled myself to sleep holding him. He would just purr and let me hold him until I fell asleep. He was there when I dealt with being suicidal and wanting to kill myself and was one of the reasons I never carried out those plans.
He was there when I got up to 509 pounds and was killing myself with food. He would perch on my desk and watch me eat and hide from my kids and wife. He was there when I decided to start trying to get healthy and he was able to see me loose 130 pounds and turn my life around. I am so happy that he got to see me change my lifestyle and get to know that I will be okay when he's gone and that I'll continue to lose to honor him and the journey I started with him.
And a week and a half ago he finally got to meet my grandson for the first time. I have to say after raising three teenagers and knowing that they started out like him he was VERY skeptical of him. "Your cute now but I've seen what you turn into....and if your anything like your mom I'm not going through that again." I think in those moments he was almost glad to be dying so he didn't have to do it again lol. He was like "Yep good luck with that dad, I'm out and your on your own for that one."
I'm sorry to ramble I just needed to get this out and allow myself to feel the feelings that writing this has brought up. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read all that he was there for...I know he appreciates it.
