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“Peanut”
I first met Peanut when
I went to our local animal shelter looking
for a new cat.
Previously I had a white cat and I
now wanted a black cat.
The local shelter had two rooms of
cats with each room housing about 20 cats.
As I searched for a black cat in the
first room that did not hiss or growl at me,
this scrawny light brown and white cat kept
rubbing against my leg.
I looked at him but he was way too
thin and small.
Then I went in the second room and
again the black cats either hissed or
growled.
I returned to the first room and
there was that thin cat rubbing my leg.
He wanted to be saved and he had
picked me.
The decision had been made.
He knew his mind.
The shelter told me that his name was Peanut and that
he was a wanderer.
When I got him home, I was afraid that he might
escape and we would not see him again.
Quite the contrary.
Peanut was full of energy bouncing off the walls; he
wanted to eat everything in sight.
However, he did not want to go outside.
Over time Peanut filled out but was always on the
thin side.
Eventually, he would venture outside but always return.
He loved the outdoors – hunting for mice and birds
and sleeping in his garden in the cat nip or in the tall
ornamental grasses.
He was the most athletic cat.
He caught mice and some birds and chased rabbits.
He was very feisty and knew his mind.
Then in the height of his prime, he became ill and
after protracted treatments at the Animal Medical Center,
Peanut was diagnosed with meningitis.
He had a slight limp in one leg which was a result of
neurological damage and started to have urinary tract
infections.
Notwithstanding his limp Peanut loved the outdoors and
sitting in his gardens at our house.
Over time his ability to use his hind end became more
and more limited.
However, he dragged himself around and was able to
jump up on our sofa and bed. During his final year, we had
to carry him around our house or outside because it was so
difficult for him to use his hind end.
With all of the adversities that life dealt Peanut,
his difficulty in walking and his chronic urinary tract
infections, Peanut loved his life.
He fought time and time again the very painful
chronic infections; and he mustered his strength to move on
our bed to sleep between myself and my wife.
Peanut was an inspiration to us because of his love
of life in light of all of the adversity that he had to over
come. At night
I put my arm around him and he purred all night.
His life was made more bearable by the kindness and
caring of Drs. Plotnick and Waltke.
In addition, he loved his acupuncture given by Dr.
Levy which brought him comfort.
Peanut we miss you.
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