Juniors Tribute

This morning, there is something missing from my life. There's an empty space on the back of our sofa where my companion Tony Junior (Jr.) usually sleeps or watches the world go by through the window, perched on his soft, red, fuzzy blanket. There, he waits for me to join him in a nap so he can climb onto my chest, settle in, and purr as I gently scratch his chin and behind his left ear.

You see, last night, October 10, 2023, Jr. quietly passed at about 11:30 p.m. Needless to say, I’m heartbroken. As I write this, tears are streaming down my cheeks. You see, Jr. was my special friend like no other. He never complained; he was always there to greet me every morning, at night, returning from a mountain trip, or just from a daily walk around the neighborhood. Junior, our indoor cat, had a routine of following me around the house. He never wanted to venture outside - he considered our home “his castle.” I could set my watch to his predictable daily routines. And he knew mine. See What the Cat Heard. He would jump onto my lap whenever I was seated and start purring softly. With his motor running, he would roll over, stretch out, and allow me to vigorously rub his tummy - and he loved it. (Caution don't try this with just any cat - you will get the Sh*t scratched out of you.) Junior was more than just a pet to me; he was my special buddy, and I cherished his companionship.

You see, in the past few weeks, Jr. began to show signs of his age; now over 15 years old, he was unable to keep food down, and refused to eat. We took him to his Vet, and interestedly, all of his vitals were fine. They did blood work, and no signs of any issues. Somewhat dehydrated, he was given fluids, and when we got home, he went directly to his bowl to eat something, which was very encouraging. Then, within a few days, he was again unwilling to eat. The doctor prescribed some medication that helped for a while. He would eat very small portions, but he was losing a lot of weight, strength, coordination, and vigor.

He never complained, never showed any signs of pain, sat stoically, and made sure I was following my routines. Then he would sleep. He became weaker, and yesterday, when we returned home from work there, he sat, quietly, stoically - yet on the floor a few feet from his litter box was a very large pool of blood. We took him to the animal hospital and urgent care. After a thorough diagnosis of a large lump in his abdomen, his temperature dropping, and anemic blood levels, he was undoubtedly checking out of our world. We will miss you deeply, dear friend - God’s speed.

Unfortunately, my dear friends, I'm afraid it won't be possible to record a podcast this week without experiencing a breakdown. So, as a tribute to Junior’s memory, I’ve attached to this blog the post - Juniors Jungle Gym so you can experience Junior at his best and we can relive the wonderful memories of a day in my companion Junior's long, loving life.

I’m Patrick Ball. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes. I’ll see you in the next episode.