We had to put our remaining cat, Tiger, to sleep Thursday afternoon. She’d been getting progressively weaker for a while and losing weight. I think the final blow involved a fairly serious respiratory infection. It would not have been kind to her to keep her struggling on.
Unlike her half-sister, Sox, who died last Thanksgiving, Tiger was always a sweet and mellow cat. She had some ongoing minor health problems her entire life, but those rarely kept her from wanting to share time with her family members.
We inherited both her and Sox because their prior owner couldn’t take care of them as kittens and had to return them to the pound. It was gratifying that over the years Tiger got her meow back (her original name was Whisper, because her meows were virtually silent).
When I wrote about Sox’s passing I mentioned she was an active explorer and hunter throughout our old neighborhood. Tiger was different. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I ever saw her outside. Not that she was a house cat. Far from it. But where Sox was always strutting around the neighborhood, Tiger preferred to disappear into her environment.
The two cats generally got along quite well. Sox was the dominant one, but, true to her low-key nature, we’re pretty sure Tiger scored most of the cat food over the years. Watching them, on occasion, jointly hunt our dog Diego through the house was enlightening.
Thanx for being a good pet, Tiger. Requiem in pace.
