oritsu_luv | Rest in Peace, Thundy

Our cat Thunder reached the end of what my step-mom called his 'sweet cat life' this weekend. It was good, long cat life, 20 whole years bringing comfort and joy to our family. He came into my life with my step mother and sister, when I was 10 years old, an intelligent and mischievous looking cat with a handsome face, a long soft coat of bright orange, and huge double paws. He went by many names, Thundy, Thundercat, love cat, was always my step mother and my sister's cat more than mine - I am at heart a dog person, after all - but he was always there on the weekends and vacations I spent at my father's house, and I loved him just the same. He would always jump on the counter to try and lick the butter, always let my sister (who was 6 when we met) drag him around ungracefully and affectionately, and was always there, a purring and solid warmth, when anyone in the family needed him. Ironically for a cat named Thunder, he was scared of thunder and lightening, and so during a storm he could always be found, usually with my sister, on the stairs in the center of the house. So many times one of us would call 'Cute Cat Alert!' and the rest of the family would come tiptoeing in to see him sleeping in some adorable posture in some adorable place, like curled up in a drawer, or the laundry basket, and take a moment to bask in the cuteness of a beloved cat.

He soldiered on even as his magnificent lion like coat thinned with age, and he grew older and more feeble, always coming back from any sort of bad spell, but his condition gradually worsened, and we finally learned from the vet that his kidney's were failing, and so my step mother made the decision that it wasn't right to let him suffer anymore. My sister was on hand with my step mother to be by his side as he slipped peacefully away.

It's funny just how completely a pet becomes a member of your family. Thanks Thunder, you were a great cat and we were lucky to have you.

We miss you.