[Magdalen] Max -- RIP

[Susan Hagen]

Jim, I am so sorry for your loss.  I'm glad Max died peacefully at
home and glad you have the others to comfort you.
Susan

On Fri, Mar 31, 2017 at 3:05 AM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford
<oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:
> Some might remember some of my mentions of our companions. We got four cats
> from the shelter six years ago: Malcolm, Max, Boris and Nancy.
>
> We were delighted that all of them got along surprisingly well.
>
> Malcolm, a 26-pound big guy, who wants to be a puma when he grows up, is
> the gentle giant who is the head cat. He and Max lived in the same location
> before being surrendered to the SPCA. Malcolm has seemed to respect his
> older brother, and in all the years they have been with us, I have never
> seen Malcolm treat Max with anything but gentleness. This was more so shown
> recently as Max began to visibly slow down. Malcolm would come and gently
> groom Max, who seemed to accept this.
> Max was not eating much and seemed to be hiding from everyone, a really
> strong sign that the end might be near. I left him in our bedroom with the
> light out and a bowl of food which he ate a small amount of.
> I came in to check on him from time to time, and at about eleven PM, I came
> in and found Max in a small space by our bed, unresponsive.
> I gently put him up on the bed and told Christine that he was gone. We came
> and gently petted him for some time, and we allowed the other cats to see
> him. I was especially concerned about Malcolm. They seemed to sense what
> was going on, and that was that. I have read of similar reactions elsewhere.
>
> Max had been losing his hearing (a common event with bicolors, which I
> understand are actually the result of a mutation -- they are actually
> supposed to be all black), but he never seemed to have a problem with it.
> We developed techniques of calling him for dinner involving flashing
> lights, which he quickly figured out.
>
> Of all our companions, he was probably the quirkiest, but we loved him, and
> he had a good life with us, I hope.
>
> I was so very glad that Max died in a short time from when he got really
> ill. Just a few days ago, he got in my lap, I petted him and he purred with
> obvious contentment.
>
> I am also extremely gad that he died when he did, at home. I could allow
> the others to see him, and he went out without another trip to the vet,
> which would not have helped him, but would have been upsetting for him.
>
> Death is a part of life, and in this case, it came quickly with a minimum
> of trauma. I shall miss the big guy very much, but his death was about as
> good as one could hope for. So I have not really wept for him. I sat down
> about a day before these events and asked The Lord to please take him, if
> it be His will, as gently as possible, and as quickly as possible, and I
> feel He answered my prayer. Everyone else has been doing fine, seems to
> have dealt with Max's death well.
>
> We shall no doubt be considering whether to get another cat at some point,
> but at my age, I am now afraid if I were to get another cat, it might well
> outlive me. Cats who have been in a home for years are traumatized to be in
> a shelter again. We still have three who are a real joy. Nancy continues to
> be like a kitten, hopping into my lap and purring and kissing me and
> nesting on my right arm (always the elbow of the right arm). For now, we
> are content with the three we have. What Christine wants will probably
> determine where we go from here. She is the one who has always gotten a
> visit from each cat after its passing to say goodbye. I envy her.
>
> Life goes on, and it truly is beautiful.
>
>
>
> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
> except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy



-- 
The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among
you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the
land of Egypt.
Leviticus 19:34