Last Friday my sweet cat, Tigger, died. It was a very sad day as Tigger has been such a huge part of our family for the last 19 years (yes, 19). The truth is that I can't really remember life before her. I do remember my sister bringing her home though. I was 4 years old and my sister brought her home from her friends house in her little pink bike basket. As I am sure you can imagine, Tig didn't like that so well! I wanted so badly to name her Samantha (after the girl on 'Who's the Boss'), but Tigger was chosen instead. And it fit.
The first year of her life she was not a very friendly cat. Then one winter night she accidentally got left outside. She found that our neighbors car engine was warm, and climbed up inside to sleep. The next morning when our neighbor turned on his car he had a really yucky surprise. It did some major damage, but my mom couldn't bear to put her to sleep (dad was on a business trip). A week later she returned home, sewn together and with her jaw wired shut. Miraculously, she recovered fully. And even better, it seemed to have changed her.
Where she hadn't been a very kind kitty before, she became the sweetest, most loving cat you could ever imagine. If you were sick, she knew it. She would cuddle up to you and not leave until you were feeling better. When we moved to a place with lots of fields she learned to catch mice she became an expert mouser, keeping our house mice-free.
Tigger had a very odd trait. When she wanted anything (to go outside, or to be fed, etc) She would turn around and use her back foot to quickly thump the wall behind her several times. you know thumper on 'Bambi'? It was just like that. It is hard to explain, but I have never seen another cat do anything like it. Several times I thought someone was knocking on the door before I figured out it was Tigger. We always joked about recording her and sending it to America's Funniest Home Videos. She only stopped doing this a few months ago as she began to get sick.
She loved my niece, Maddie, and would sit patiently, letting Maddie pull her fur, acting like Maddie was scratching her ears in just the right way. It was adorable! And since my Grandparents moved in she had taken to lounging with them throughout the day, giving them attention and love. They just adored her.
Yes, Tigger has been a huge part of our family over the last 19 years. She will be very missed.
The first year of her life she was not a very friendly cat. Then one winter night she accidentally got left outside. She found that our neighbors car engine was warm, and climbed up inside to sleep. The next morning when our neighbor turned on his car he had a really yucky surprise. It did some major damage, but my mom couldn't bear to put her to sleep (dad was on a business trip). A week later she returned home, sewn together and with her jaw wired shut. Miraculously, she recovered fully. And even better, it seemed to have changed her.
Where she hadn't been a very kind kitty before, she became the sweetest, most loving cat you could ever imagine. If you were sick, she knew it. She would cuddle up to you and not leave until you were feeling better. When we moved to a place with lots of fields she learned to catch mice she became an expert mouser, keeping our house mice-free.
Tigger had a very odd trait. When she wanted anything (to go outside, or to be fed, etc) She would turn around and use her back foot to quickly thump the wall behind her several times. you know thumper on 'Bambi'? It was just like that. It is hard to explain, but I have never seen another cat do anything like it. Several times I thought someone was knocking on the door before I figured out it was Tigger. We always joked about recording her and sending it to America's Funniest Home Videos. She only stopped doing this a few months ago as she began to get sick.
She loved my niece, Maddie, and would sit patiently, letting Maddie pull her fur, acting like Maddie was scratching her ears in just the right way. It was adorable! And since my Grandparents moved in she had taken to lounging with them throughout the day, giving them attention and love. They just adored her.
Yes, Tigger has been a huge part of our family over the last 19 years. She will be very missed.
