Tyson

This is Sakura's first companion Tyson. They were only together 6 days but liked each other very much and Tyson showed Sakura around, where the food was and the litter trays and such.

We adopted Tyson from the Animal Shelter at the end of July 2008, he was 9 years old. I didn't mind. The lifespan for an indoor cat can be as much as 20 and I knew that the older cats were harder to place.

I remember walking in to the cat room, fellow volunteer Mick was there and I told him I was looking for a cat for me and I wanted to look at the oldest ones. As soon as I said this a very loud meowing started in the middle cage at the end of the row. I looked at cat after cat, but none of them had the personality I was looking for. With 3 dogs in the house the cat needed to be confident and outgoing, not timid and shy. All the time the noise continued from the end cage. At one point I glanced over and said, 'you are MUCH too vocal'. But he wasn't going to shut up. Finally Mick gestured at the cage and gave me a look of appeal. So I said, 'oh alright I will look at him'. When I opened the cage door the cat jumped eagerly into my arms and immediately ceased that terrible racket and began to purr. I put him on the cat furniture and he immediately began to roll and rub at me in an incredibly affectionate way. He was appallingly thin, I could feel every rib and his hips stuck out, my heart almost broke that anyone could have treated such a loving cat so badly. And I said.. 'I am taking this one home'.

His name at the time was Mr. Tiggs, but my husband was having none of that. I wanted Tiggsie and called him that but after watching his prowess boxing the dogs he renamed him Tyson and Tyson he stayed. Tyson was so handsome and he knew it. He was also very loud and complained a lot all the time, some nights he drove us nearly nuts but then he would come and sleep on my pillow above my head and then he would be quiet. Gradually he put on a little weight. His favorite food in the whole world was KFC chicken, he loved it, followed by roast chicken of any variety as long as it was roast or fried chicken that was ok with Tyson. But we thought him delicate stomached and would give him tiny bits as he would gulp big pieces down barely chewing them and sometimes he would throw up. At least we thought it was the chicken.

Tyson's story was that his original owner gave him away to someone. That someone then moved house and left him behind which was when Animal Services picked him up as a stray. That accounted for his low weight. His original owner was contacted and signed him away, she did not want him back and that is all we know or ever will know.

Tyson was a sweet, sweet boy. Gentle and kind, did not stand nonesense from the dogs, he had just the sweetest expression. When we first got him he was playful and liked his cat nip mouse, but later thinking back, he lost interest in his toys and he used his litter box diligently, not having had cats for years I didn't realise that it was too much urine.

Tyson needed company but hated our foster kittens. He would hiss and swat at them all and when we got 6 tiny ones in earlier this year he was unimpressed. Until the night Abby died. She was the third kitten I lost to fading kitten syndrome and it was horrible. She died in my arms and there wasn't a thing I could do. It was that night that Tyson slipped out when the dogs were let out and jumped over the back fence. Despite flyers, calls to vets offices and contacting Animal Services, we didn't see him again for 17 days.

If an indoor cat gets out and you don't get them back right away, they will most likely go to ground near the house. We figured Tyson had been hiding between the 2 garages because that is where he emerged from. Hungry and painfully thin, all that good work undone. Hubby heard him meowing and started calling for him, came and got a flashlight and I ran outside too but I couldn't believe it when there he was, standing there between the cars. We had also read the cat can be scared, but my luck was in, that night we had eaten roast chicken for dinner so I came out tearing chunks off it and putting it down for him. Tyson grabbed a mouthful of chicken and I grabbed him. He spent that whole night rolling on us and treading on us in bed and sleeping curled up with us and Kasey, he was so happy to be home again. But it was not to last.

Last month and I can't believe it is only last month, Tyson suddenly started to vomit and he was having diarrhea. At first I thought it was a stomach upset, but he went on having symptoms. At the vets his BUN was up a bit and he was put on antibiotics, an IV to flush it out of his system and an anti vomit drug. For some days Tyson was better, but we had also noticed he began to drink more and more and pee more and more. I read on the internet and suspected he was in renal failure. He was. the vet confirmed this on Tuesday September 15. Tyson was at the stage he would need IV 3-4 times a week and he HATED it. It would progress to one a day. I said to our vet, 'isn't this prolonging the inevitable?' I will never forget how matter of factly he said, 'oh yes, this cat is going to die of kidney failure, but you can maybe buy him,' he looked him over, '6 months'. I burst into tears. I called hubby. We had already discussed this moment. We had already decided we would not prolong his agony if he were terminally sick, what was that for? For him? Or for us? I couldn't do something that selfish and nor could hubby. I was sobbing when I called him and I said.. I can't do this today.. I CAN"T. So we had IV done and I took Tyson home for his last few days with us.

Sakura had arrived on the September 12 and all she wanted to do was chase Tyson.. she still did. And Tyson still ran and Tyson drank.. and Tyson pee'd. More and more and more. It was so hard. He was so sweet. He spent his last day cuddled up to hubby all day long knowing he was loved. I went to KFC for his last dinner which he loved.

It was not to be Tyson's fate finding out one day that nothing worked, or he could not pee, or he was feeling too sick to move. He would never feel dizzy or giddy and he would never have no energy. He passed away quietly on Friday September 18, 2009 at 5:40 p.m. with Mom and Dad by his side comforting him. It was very fast, less than 10 seconds. And I put my face in both hands and bawled my heart out. I felt hubby's arm come behind me and I leaned against the solid strength of him. If he shed tears I don't know.. I couldn't see through my own.

We left him there. We took some of his fur in an envelope. We have our own little Momento of him and our memories. Both of us kissed his still body softly and told him we would see him again at the Rainbow Bridge. We loved you very much Tyson. Sakura sleeps with your favorite mouse, she is taking care of him for you.

Tyson and Sakura