My beloved Paddy turned 18 last week. He was a Valentine’s Day present from my then-husband just after I arrived in Sweden.
He has been really accident prone. Run over twice, all four legs broken, tumours, eye infections, attacked by a fox, pecked by crows, you name it! But he has triumphed through it all. He, like many senior cats, suffers from thyroid problems, but he is medicated and has house calls from the vet every six weeks.
He was an outside cat until his 24th emergency trip to the vet, but now he is happy to be an inside cat. He didn’t really even mind. I think he knew it was time.
I love this boy. He purrs so loud he was once broadcast over the police radio!
Paddy was also scouted for a television ad when a talent agent saw him shopping for cat food with me at the supermarket (he used to walk to heel like a dog). Pads sailed through all the rehearsals like a star. When it came to the real thing though, he would not take direction. In the end, the entire cast and crew were shoo’ed away by the director who asked for a closed set. But Pads had had enough and my dreams of him supporting me financially via his film career were dashed!
Janet, your darling boy looks,like my Mr. Doobie Cat who at 20 some years ago decided he’d had a great life & sick from hyperthyroidism like Paddy asked me to let him go!! Can’t believe how similar the are to look at. He was my son!! Got a new Doobie some years later, Louis who is very similar. Adore my black & whites! Love having found yr blog! Blessings from Melbourne xxx
My condolences for your loss. My previous cat, Tusse also asked me to let him go, in his twenties. One day we both knew it was time. I miss him terribly to this day.
He is so cute. Happy Birthday to Paddy!
In New Zealand, you can’t even get doctors for people to make house calls, let alone vets!
They (doctors and vets) don’t usually in Sweden either but they knew and loved Paddy plus he was starting to freak out on the way to the vet so they do it as a special favour.