Alley died on Tuesday. He was the best cat I ever had. He was a small cat but a big part of our family.
Alley was 15 years old and he liked everybody. If you just looked at him, he’d start purring. Sometimes he would sit at the foot of our driveway and wait for anyone to walk by and brush up against them, hoping to be petted. The neighbors loved him.
He was a tabby mix with a soft, pepper-colored coat and four white feet with a white star on his chest. His mouth was always turned in a perpetual smile. We kept his name when adopting him; his brother was named “Oop.” He had a trademark “rowr”-sounding meow. Wouldn’t stop until you starting scratching behind his ears or fed him turkey, his favorite treat.
Alley always wanted to be a part of what was going on. When we’d take our dog for a walk, Alley would follow us guerilla-style a few yards behind, dashing from plant to tree along the way. Sometimes he would stop after a few blocks and wait for us to come back, then jump out of a bush when we returned. We always tried to act surprised. And other times he would keep following, staying just a little back, so we’d end up having to pick him up and carry him home, so he wouldn’t get lost trying to find us if we got too far in front. Even when I’d pull into the driveway in my car, he’d come trotting out, almost like he was trying to rub against the car, so I’d always have to be really careful parking.
In his last few days, Alley had not been eating well and was sleeping way more than usual. So when I took him to the vet, I wasn’t sure what they were going to find. They ran a battery of tests on his blood. The vet showed me the analysis and he said that anything in red was an abnormality. It looked like a failed freshman term paper – red everywhere. Cancer, diabetes and a host of other problems were all in the mix and nothing could save him at his advanced age. Alley was in pain, so we needed to let the vet take care of him.
When I came in, Alley began to purr. I scratched his ears and neck, petted him and told him what a great cat he was. The vet gave him a sedative first before a final shot, and Alley eventually laid his head down and fell asleep, still purring at the very last.
In the end, I could sure learn some things from Alley’s life. Taking pleasure in little things. Paying attention to others. Being happy with what I have, whether it’s simply eating something good, taking a nap, or spending the most time possible with the ones I love.
We’ll miss you, Alley.