I seem to have cried more for Schui than any cat we’ve had probably because of the last 2 weeks. I had to lift him on the sofa because he suddenly couldn’t climb anymore and hold him in the litter tray when he was wobbly. He’s had bad times before and always pulled through but this time he wasn’t going to get much better, though he still tried bless him walking next to the wall and purring every time he saw us. Sadly we knew yesterday was the time it wouldn’t have been fair to keep him as he couldn’t walk. He became a chunky boy over the 5 yrs but was a slip of a thing yesterday.
To think that when we first got Schui 5 and half yrs ago he wasn’t your ideal loving cat he was a bit of a grumpy thing, he’d lash out for no reason and it seemed safer to stroke him from a distance just in case those little tatty ears went back. When he was found he was on death’s door and believed to have been left behind as he had a collar mark. Schui just kept himself to himself it was hard to get close to him I wondered whether he had been treated badly in the past or was grieving for an owner who had passed away. Then one day when I had to clean his teeth and was holding him tightly he started purring away and then I knew that’s what he wanted big hugs and cuddles. He got loads of hugs from then on and those claws came out less, he stopped sitting alone on the 2-seater sofa and joined us on the 3-seater. It’s only over this last year really that Schui has stopped lashing out as if he was he trusting us now or maybe it was this illness he was always sneezy and kept going off his food, either way he turned into probably the most loving cat we have had and we’ll miss him more than ever.
We had lots of names for him but mostly he was my Little Tuppeth and his favourite things I’ll remember when he was well were sleeping, food, milk and eskimo kisses - loads of. He also did his daily ritual of walking up the back of the garden howling to get rid of any cats and if there was one, chasing it off. He even went for a last short walk the day before yesterday having not been out for a month or so. Inside the house he never made a sound he just gave little silent meows at anyone who passed even Byron and who can forget that 1 white whiska on his left cheek – I’ve even got one I saved, but they stopped growing when he got poorly. Schui was a reserved cat he wouldn’t push himself forward he only liked to be in the lounge and kitchen and he only went in the bedroom a couple of times in the 5 and half years. He tried to be posh he had a funny, fancy walk sort of a trot like a dressage horse which didn’t seem to fit as he never washed he also couldn’t bear his feet touched or the claws were out and as he had no teeth he would gum you. These last 2 weeks he purred when I cleaned his feet after rolling into his milk.
He purred yesterday morning when I took him some milk and sat with him until it was time to go. I held him as he went peacefully and he’s being cremated like the others were. I know now I’ve to stop thinking I should have done this and if only I’d done that and focus on Byron as the last couple of weeks I think she’s been neglected a bit (although we’ve tried not to) and not cry in front of Steve as much now or he’ll say no more old or poorly cats and I can’t contemplate that.
Night, night and godbless xx
Our little Schui
