RIP Oscar-Tyrone... October 1997- October 13 2014

Oh man.

I tell you it was so hard to go and find Oscar-Tyrone gone this morning.  It was to the point that I didn't want to go check on him. I knew he would be gone. But when Tazzee texted to ask how he was doing I said not too good. I'd just woke up and wasn't looking forward to it. But I opened the hall closet door, and looked in.

And there he was, looking as if he was sleeping peacefully. All day yesterday, he would look up, and he would look up at me with that familiar surley scowl, as if to say "Gal, would you close that door?"

He didn't look up this time. He wasn't asleep. I shook his shoulder.

He was gone.

And I cried.

Poor Callie Jo is all confused, not knowing what's going on. She sat and watched wide-eyed as I put on some latex gloves and grabbed some plastic bags and removed his body. I placed him in a box I had ready for the past few days next to the closet.

That was so hard. But I was ready. But man... my heart wasn't ready.

He lived a good 17 years... He was my ex-husband's cat and he didn't want to break our cats up. So I was a little miffed that I had to take care of him. I guess it was just that he was a constant reminder of love lost.

But the Oldcat grew on me. He became more surley over the past couple of years. I guess a bad liver and gall bladder had him like that.

But 17 years is a long time. He has lived in many places, even in New Orleans.

And ya'll know how he do with his party beads...

Yes. He knew how to keep it gangster.

That's OT for you.

No one mean mugs like him. Human or animal. No one.

And there were many times when I was running around looking for him, only to find him staking me out from the beams above my living room.

He hasn't been well enough to get out on those beams in over a year now. I missed him out there.

And he even tried to get along with the feisty Callie Jo... She spent time grooming him in his last days. I think she knew that it was time to get serious and not give him a hard time.

Dear Original Oldcat...

Thanks for hanging with this Oldgirl for all these years. You were so good. Too good for me.

And now you're gone.

Thanks for always being there with me...

Rest in peace.

Love,

LadyLee.