Personality
He had a somewhat solitary and stand-offish
personality, but could be quite affectionate as long as it was his
idea. He didn't like to be held much, but would put up with it until
he could find a way to escape. He liked to be brushed every morning
and then laid in the sun to relax and stretch. He enjoyed waking me up
at 5:00 a.m. when he decided it was time to be fed.
He developed an extensive vocabulary and understood a
lot of the words I used when talking to him. Unfortunately, I didn't
understand as many of his words as he did mine, but we still
communicated and related to each other well.
Footprints to forever
I grew accustomed to him always being there for me,
but he suffered from kidney failure and recently with liver failure as
well, which is not uncommon with Russian Blues. He was on a special
diet for awhile but he and I were both miserable with it.
He dropped from 14 pounds to about 4 pounds. I tried
to pamper him, make him comfortable and happy as much as I could. We
went back to his old favorite foods again. He seemed content and happy
with that. His normal habits seemed to cause him no anxiety or
discomfort.
After almost a year (the vet had only given him 3-6
months), his skin color started turning yellow and he began to stagger
a bit, in spite of the fact that he still purred and liked to be
brushed and pet. He let me know that he was sick and feeling worse as
each day went by. I couldn't ignore his cries any longer.
The vet came to the house on Tuesday afternoon at 4:45
p.m. Chas was relieved I think. He knew what was coming, I'm sure. He
quietly laid down and relaxed on our bed at home where he felt safe. I
said goodbye and held him as the doctor gave him the painless shot
which would release him from him pain. Within a minute or two, he had
passed on.
Best companion I've ever had
He was the most wonderful cat I have ever lived with,
and was a lot better than most people I know. I'm trying to accept the
fact that he has passed on, but it's difficult to think about. I know
that he will go on -- as we all do! We will be together again. I love
him very much and miss him terribly.
More Pictures (click to enlarge)
