Today’s blog post title from “The Scholar and His Cat”
Thursday. Sunny and breezy.
The house is very quiet, and I’ve caught myself a dozen times looking up with a start, and wondering where Trooper was. This house is arranged so when I’m in the kitchen and turn my head, I can see the copilot’s chair and the section of my desk where the cat napping box is located.
For eight years (in this house), those two properties were occupied in a rotation worked out between themselves. by Sprite, Belle, or Trooper — sometimes two together in a single location. When Belle died, Sprite claimed the copilot’s chair most often, except when she was on duty for Steve. Lately, Trooper has more or less had his choice. The kids sometimes use the box, but the copilot’s chair was Trooper’s.
Seeing both spots empty is . . . yeah.
The house suffered this same feeling of yawning emptiness when Belle left us, and when Spite did. Big cats, with big, big personalities, who had their schedules and took their responsibilities seriously.
Today, following a brief huddle upon discovering that the box had come home, but Grandpa wasn’t in it, the kids have taken to nap spots that are not in my office. Each one has checked in with me at least once, So, that’s good; they know the gig; it’ll just take them a little while to ease into it. Firefly had the benefit of learning from Belle, Sprite, and Trooper — she’s as ready to be Top Cat as it’s possible to be. The other two — they’re good kittens, and I saw Trooper working with them. They’ll be fine.
Kelimcoons Sooper Trooper, December 15, 2009-September 4, 2025. He came on-board at the Lee-Miller Cat Farm and Confusion Factory on June 29, 2013. The final crossing was a sweet easing into sleep. By now, he’s been in Steve’s office at the new place for a good few hours, and is probably starting to ask when’s Happy Hour around here, anyway?
Picture below from October 27, 2013
Video from May 19, 2021
I’m very sorry for your loss, but I’m sure Trooper is happily enjoying food and all his faculties again on the other side of the rainbow bridge. I hope Firefly, Tali and Rook are actively comforting you and vice versa.
If you have any interest in personally having Trooper cremated, we had good experiences with Fluke’s Aftercare in Litchfield in 2016 and 2017. If you pay extra, Fluke’s will run the crematorium for just one cat or dog. We felt better _knowing_ that we had the cremains of each of our cats after they passed.
I’m sorry to hear about Trooper. I hope the other cats adjust, and that they will comfort you.
Condolences on the passing of Trooper.
My condolences – making the decision on when the time has come is one of the most brutally difficult things I have ever done. It is, however our duty to these wonderful creatures and I believe that you have discharged that duty well.