I started writing this blog entry over a year ago, it was in my draft list since then since the situation changed at the time.
Tom was left at our door step about 12 years ago when he was no larger than a fist. we got Jerry (a white furry kitten) a month before and named it Jerry, so Tom was the natural and only name possible. as a baby (kitten) i took him to the nearby garden on my shoulder and even then when he saw a dog he would use his claws (on my shoulder..ouch).
Tom grew up and quickly became the master of the house over his rival (well not really) Jerry and the huge guard dog Honey (the same one that hides when thieves come). using his new found power to sleep on my pillow when I am in bed or not, walking on all the kitchen counters and mewing mewing to get someone to open the door outside.
i stopped writing this entry at the time since Tom got better, he had cancer and we decided to let him live, he was on the verge but fought on and lived, during the last 2 years he had several episode of partial blindness (related to sugar levels) and a few other unpleasant sicknesses. the question always came on whether to continue or not, we did.
Tom used to walk by me when i was taking the dog for a walk, he was scared at first, since the garden had some big dogs, but slowly he would venture further and further and would walk by me like a dog (till a real dog came, and he would climb a tree for safety)
tom was the kind of the hood, literally , he would fight with other cats and win, other cats moved away when he passed and some dogs were scared as well. i recall one time he was trying to hunt a raven. he climbed on the tree where the raven was sitting on the very edge of the smallest limb and tom would get close, then the raven would fly to another limb on the other edge of the tree , tom does not give up and runs to the other limb, but the raven is a tough prey and jumps to other edges of the tree (but does not fly to another tree), that was so funny, i wish i had a video camera at the time, he was chasing that raven across the tree with no luck. but he did have luck else where, with a few small but unlucky birds and mice, he would place them on the carpet for us to see like other cats do (well , the other cat didn't).
sometime, during repeat battles with other big cats there was a period of quiet, rest from a previous battle and Too and the other cat would pass each other on the street, each looking the other way- you don't see me and i don't see you kind of things, so cute.
Tom knew how to make international calls! he would go to the back and climb the window and trip the alarm, and the security company would call my mom where ever she is. imagine her in some other country getting a call about the cat wanting to get into the house.
few years ago we lost Jerry who died from smelling flowers, literally. but tom hung in there, sitting on his top perch in the front of the house surveying his kingdom. he remained king almost to the very end. in the last few months he began to weaken and suddenly our mighty battle dog began to take 1st pick at choice food.
on my previous visit a few months ago after not seeing him for 2 years , he recognized me right away and went straight for my lap mewing a lot and complaining on my absence.
with only 2 weeks to my next visit, i knew he wasn't well but hoped he would wait. his latest illness was related to warms, not pretty and a broken tooth, he got a shot and was supposed to be better but unfortunately he passed away , a proud aging lion king, liking the neighborhood Tom less.
enjoy Kitty heaven
May you always find a fresh open can of food
