Tuesday, August 13, 2013

An Obituary For A Mean, Beloved Cat, Plus Other Stuff.

Well, sad news around here today. Hank's old beloved and meaner than hell cat died. Here's what Hank said about her on Facebook:

Baggy the Guest-Biter, Baggy the Ankle-Gouger, Baggy the Rat Killer is dead. She developed a massive tumor in her leg and I put her down today. She was with me for 14 years. She was never a kind or gentle cat. I will carry her scars until my own death. But every night she climbed into my lap and fell asleep there, and I love her little black heart completely. It will be a lonely night. She will be laid to rest today in my mom's yard. I know she left her mark on many of you. I'll not see another quite like her.

And here's her pictures:



Baggy was known far and wide for her ability to rip a human limb off at will. So far her death notice has gotten over fifty comments on Facebook. My favorite so far is one that says, "Well...they say that upon death, god welcomes all of his creatures into his warm embrace...he's about to get right messed up. RIP, Baggy."

Hank of course was sad and so after Lily and the boys I went to the library we picked him up and we all went to the Bamboo House for lunch. That cheered us all right up. 
Well, except for Gibson who was his usual morose self. 


That little dude. He is having entire conversations these days. The words are not entirely English but they sound as if they could be. Here's another thing he's doing- he says, "I love you" and then he hugs your neck with all his baby strength and kisses you. I am not making this up. 
I can't help it. I think he's sort of special. 

While we were deciding where to eat, Owen asked, "Why we have to go to hundreds of places in the universe where the food is YUCKY?" 
In the universe?
Owen doesn't consider a restaurant much good unless it's CiCi's Pizza OR a place where they have noodles and miso soup. Yes, miso soup. Don't ask me.
Here he is, being happy with noodles and miso soup.


As you can see, he has noodle-eating figured out. 

On the way home I read him a book he got out of the library about pirates. It was an awesome book and when I was finished reading it he said, "Again! Read it again!" Which warmed my heart so much. 

Hank and his friend Drew came out this afternoon and buried Baggy in the backyard beneath an oak tree near where our beloved cat, Bob, and his long-suffering mother, Maxie, are buried. It was sad. That cat has been a part of Hank's life for forever. But I think that a small part of Hank is looking forward to one day owning a cat (or living with one, at least) who does not hide in the couch and who only comes out to eat and slash. A cat who, oh- you know- likes to be petted and who purrs. A cat who doesn't make taking a broom to the bathroom to protect oneself a part of daily life. Well, not for Hank. Just for anyone who visited him. 

So it was a day of sorrows and joys and Mr. Moon is home again and there's a venison meatloaf in the oven and green beans on the stove and by god, those are the last green beans I'm fooling with from the garden. I finally hit that wall. 

The boys are coming tomorrow at seven and so tonight should be an early night. I'm glad to have my husband back and it'll be nice to sit and watch some TV and eat our supper and be together again. 

I'm going to go throw together some oat bran muffins with grated apple in them and I'm sure that Gibson will enjoy them tomorrow as much as we will enjoy them tonight. Owen really used to love them too but one day he ate about six of them and hasn't really cared for them that much since. 

And simply because I must post it, here's a video I watched today. I love it for several reasons and one of them is because it has close-ups of Keith Richard's face and it was when his teeth were pretty gnarly. Yeah, I'm sick. Also? It has one shot of Mick's, uh, well...pelvic area that is beyond crazy. 
You don't have to watch it. I'll still love you. 
I promise.
Truly yours...Ms. Moon


19 comments:

  1. Love that Facebook comment!! RIP, Baggy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My condolences to Hank. No matter how long our beloved pets are with us, it's never long enough.

    And your grandchildren are very special, indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ahh, that made me cry. You know I never say THAT.

    That commenter on Facebook better be single, because I'd like to marry him or her.

    My own cat is pacing on top of the entertainment center, growling. I may go kiss him.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, my heart hurts for Hank. I have a cat that hates but like Hank, I love him. He is an Ungrateful Bastard but he is my Ungrateful Bastard. I think there might be a special helleaven just for cats like that.

    Sorry, Hank. Sending hugs.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love this post -- every single word of it. And I'm sorry for Hank and his loss. Honestly, I am. The way you tell a story, though, is just outrageously good --

    ReplyDelete
  6. P.S. The video -- oh, my. The whole thing is just -- well -- stirring. Beginning with Mick's careful placement of the sequinned beret.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mama D- I wish I could just copy them all. They're wonderful comments. Hank has wonderful friends.

    Messymimi- Thank you, sweetie.

    SJ- Wow. Really? Oh honey. Kiss that kitty.

    Birdie- You may well be right.

    Elizabeth- It's so hot in such an odd way, isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  8. So sorry about Baggy. All of a sudden the animals get sick and then it is either a long process to make them well or they go down hill.
    Glad Hank had some happy smiles though. All of our animals are getting up there in years and I dread more sickness and death. Maybe I need some noodles to eat as happy food.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Well all I have to say is the crotch shot was rather a bit of a conundrum for me in that I didn't know what to make of those pants. However, as usual, the rest is quite nice.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think Birdie's coining phrase of "helleaven" should be used on a more regular basis around here. Genius!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh damn I'm so sorry for Hank. Give him a kiss for me. Tell him The Animal Gods will be with him until his heart heals. Sounds like Baggy was one of a kind as all cats are as all cats should be and how lucky he was to be loved so hard and so fine.
    Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
  12. ps. THE STONES. I can never get enough. Love love love.
    xoxox

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am so sorry for Hank. Please tell him. I have a much less vicious form of evil-ish cat and they do wiggle their way into your heart somehow. I also have an ancient cat and understand about your blind dogs. He is so desperate in his needy stomach ache affliction and constant need to eat and then walking away once I do feed him that I honestly hide from him sometimes. I ask myself the same questions you do but he is so fine in other ways. They are lovable, tough creatures. And then there is happiness like Gibson displays to get us through. I hope Hank gets a baby playful loving kitten when he is ready. Sweet Jo

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sympathies to Hank. Baggy looks positively ferocious.
    Those boys of yours...a spear through my little heart. I love their unknowable language and Owen, such a fine restaurant critic!

    ReplyDelete
  15. RIP Baggy. Hank loved you well.
    Fourteen years is a good run for a mean cat, but even so, it is hard on the heart to lose a pet, even an ornery one. I'm sure there is a cat just waiting at the shelter or in an alley somewhere for Hank to love next.

    Those grandboys are just wonderful. A new grandma told me yesterday that her mother always said grandkids were the honey on top of the honey, the sweetest thing imaginable, and now she knows what that really meant. You do too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Blogger ate my comment. Yup, it's going to be one of those days as you know from waking up an hr too early. I think what I said was pieces of Baggy will live on in my cat. There are many scars still to be had. And I hope we can all take naps today.
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  17. Aw, my condolences to Hank :(

    Those boys... Gibson is something else. The grin! And 'his usual morose self' cracked me up :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. The picture of Gibson is the best. EVER. So sorry to hear about your kitty...mean or not we miss them when they go :(

    ReplyDelete
  19. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.