triticale - the wheat / rye guy

R.I.P. Mr Bluebird

Last week I posted a photo of only one of our cats, as I hoped to get better pictures of the other four. I never got a chance to take more pictures of one of them; he passed away on Wednesday.

Creamer was twenty years old, nominally one hundred people-year equivalent. Three years ago he developed a severe bout of anemia. The vet prescribed antibiotics and iron rations, but warned us that if they didn't work we would be looking at an extensive and expensive course of treatments. The simple fix turned things around, but ever since then, he looked old. He was nowt but a skellington covered in fur, but until just a few days ago he was still looking for a chance to leap onto my shoulder, even considering the possibility while I was at camera distance.

His official name was Cream Soda, which continued the tradition of Orange Julius and Orange Crush (better known as Thuuh Crusher). He and his late brother Grey Malkin were known as the Epaulette Twins because as kittens they would ride around on my two shoulders. More recently I took to calling him Mr Bluebird at those times when he was, like the tattoo with a ribbon grasped in his beak which bears my wee wifey's name, on my shoulder.

I should have plenty of time to get good pictures of the other cats here. For next week my foster nephew came up with some neat old snapshots of one of his cats, already residing at the other house.