This was a good cat

Here’s a content warning: This is about the loss of a pet. It isn’t graphic, but it’s still what it is.

This is Win:

His full name is “Winjamin Failclaw,” but we called him “Win” most of the time, or “Mr. Failclaw” if we were cross with him. We got him at the “Austin Kitty Limits” adoption event something like 11-12 years ago, so we don’t know the age exactly. Probably somewhere between 17-20.. His ears suggested that he had not led the easiest of lives, and we adopted him he was recovering from a wound in his leg.

Speaking of ears, when we met him at the event, he was giving me a really evil stare. I decided I wanted to get to know him, so I asked to have his cage unlocked. I presented my hand and he rubbed up against it and insisted that I scratch one of his ears.

For forty-five minutes.

So, obviously, he chose me rather than the other way around.

Mr. Failclaw was quite the defiant fellow in the early days of living with us. His favorite place to be was wherever we did not want him to be. We rented a condo that had a balcony adjoining our neighbors’. Bum leg and all, he managed to jump over the wall and plop down on the opposite side of their balcony. When we called him, he just stared defiantly. We were at a loss until Nicole remembered his weakness: The laser.

The laser was his favorite thing and just the sound of the chain on it jingling would bringing him running. So, Nicole grabbed it and jingled it in front of him. His ears perked up immediately and he dashed over to be with us. And, by “be with us”,” I mean “chase the red dot.”

One of Win’s greatest virtues was his ability to stay between Nicole’s cats, the beautiful Tricksie (on the ground) and the naughty Red Velvet (on the bench). We were concerned when we combined our households as cats don’t always get on well. This was certainly the case with Tricksie and Red Velvet. Win, however, was the missing ingredient. He would play with Red Velvet to keep her occupied and he would leave Tricksie alone, so everyone was happy.

He was also a fierce defender of his people. Any disturbance outside would bring him running to get between us and the evil garbage truck or kids on skateboards or whatever was making the noise. This continued even as he got older and after his vision went. I knew he was getting old when I got his laser out and he came running because of the sound, but he couldn’t see the light at all.

He got more affectionate as he got older, too. He took to sleeping on my chest during the day, which was a bit awkward for work, but still sweet. He slept between my pillow and Nicole’s He spent more time with her than I’d ever known him to. Maybe it was the secret song she’d sing to him. I don’t know, as I never got to hear it.

He was, however, still as adventurous as ever. He developed a fine caterwaul for letting us know he wanted to go outside. He couldn’t see a thing, mind you, but he was not about to let that slow him down as he explored our back yard in what I presume was great detail.

My boy was old, though, and he struggled with issues related to his heart and his kidneys. A special diet and daily medicines kept him spry up until just a few days ago. When it happened, it happened fast as is usually the case when these organs are involved. We tried everything the vet offered up and we would have kept going, but he was ready to go. He was at home and comfortable.

He was the best cat. So gentle, so affectionate, so…just good. I hope he felt safe and happy and loved and I hope the life we gave him was worthy of what he gave back to us.