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15 August, 2011

Mr. Midas

Just when you begin to think you're getting back on an even keel, life just rears up and beats you about the head and shoulders.

We had been expecting Midas to pass for quite some time, as his kidney function had been going downhill for a while. We were prepared for that, well, as well as you can prepare for the passing of a friend and companion you've had for about a third of your life.

That was thrown off-kilter with the surprise passing of Blue from the same cause - kidney failure. Only her's was really speedy. Two weeks before she died, she was running around the place like a two or three-year-old kitty. Then suddenly, she was gone. That hit us hard. She had been on thyroid medication for years and we had no indication of any problem with her kidneys at all. It just really rocked us with her passing, and we still had Midas to deal with.

After Blue's passing, Midas really began to deteriorate and that was just heart-breaking. As near as we could determine, he was in no pain, so we nursed him till last Thursday, when he passed peacefully in his sleep early in the morning

Midas was a gentleman and a beer lover, especially, when we lived in the Northwest. His favorite  brew was Black Butte Porter. When we moved down here, he gracefully resigned himself to only be able to drink Belikin.

Midas was not what you'd call a lap-kitty, but he was very sociable, taking delight in showing people around the house when they'd come to visit. We called him the 'tour-director'.
Mr. Midas In His Glory Days
He was a handsome fellow, weighing in at about 22 pounds. Pure white fur with one blue and one gold eye - hence his name.

Every morning, when I fed the two of them, he always let Blue eat first. I never saw him do otherwise, even when it came to drinking tuna juice from the can - one of their favorite treats.

Also, a couple times a day, Blue would walk up to him and nudge his head with the top of her head. He would then sort of bathe her head for several licks. I never saw it the other way around.

Midas was with us for about 21 of his 23 years. We got him from the Thurston County Humane Society. He was supposed to have gone with other cats to Pet Smart that morning for an adoption program and for some reason, he had been left behind. That was when I went into the cattery and found him.

Dianna hadn't wanted to go in as she was still grieving over the death of one of our other cats at the time. I called her in and as soon as she saw Midas, that was it. He came home with us.

We were sure someone would claim him as he was just gorgeous. So, for the first month or two, we lived on tenterhooks. But, no one called to claim him, so he moved completely into our hearts, where he still lives. It sure seems like it anyway. It'll be a long time before there's another personality like his in our lives.

We miss you very much Big Guy.

9 comments:

JRinSC said...

Wow... you have had a tough time the last month or so. I had no idea that Midas was ailing - you may have written about it and I have a bad case of CRS (Can't remember Sh... (stuff)).

Anyway, I wish to say how very sorry you two are having to go through this... even though you know it is coming, it is really a bad time. I hope you hug your dogs and have a chance to recoup some. I was wondering what had happened to you and now I know.

Again, sorry for your loss guys. Time will help but I know it is hard.

Regards,

Julian

Vivien said...

Sorry to hear more sag cat news. RIP, good old Midas.

Dave Rider said...

Thanks for the comments folks. Writing this piece was cathartic, but it was still hard to write when I couldn't see the screen or keyboard after a couple of minutes because of the tears.

I think we're both doing much better now. Thanks again.

Wilma said...

The pain left by their passing is in keeping with the joy and love they brought to you. You really can't have one without the other, can you? Midas sounds like he was a most gentlemanly cat and he sure looks it in his photo. This is a very sweet tribute to a fine cat. My thoughts are with you and Dianna.

Wilma

Dave Rider said...

Thanks Wilma. He was all that and more.

sandy a said...

that's really tough, to lose two beloved pets in such a short time. he sounded like a great cat though. I am sure he had a great life in your household.

Dave Rider said...

Thanks Sandy. After having both of them around for so long, you'd think we would have had their personalities figured out.
As cats, do, there was always a new surprise. We'll miss all that as part of our daily lives.

Cheers,
Dave

PandR said...

Just gone on the blog to catch up on TS Harvey and read about Midas too. I know you were expecting it at sometime but all this at once must be testing your strength. Well you've come through it all and another furry pal will find you one day, no they'll never replace these two in your hearrts but there's plenty of space there for more.

Dave Rider said...

Hi Pam and Roy,

Thanks for the nice comment. We're doing ok now. We were just talking about the two of them while in the pool (naturally).
It'll be a while before we stop seeing them from the corners of our eyes. Kind of comforting, that.

Cheers,
DnD