Sadly, yesterday our beloved cat, Alexei, passed away. He was fifteen (a long-life, as told by the veterinarian we called). Not surprising, because even in death he was amazing... We named him "Alexei Yagudin", in honor of the famed Russian figure skater. Alexei, or "Lexei-cat", was one of the most intelligent, sweet, and tenacious cats on the planet. For almost 15 years, he graced our home--leaping upon chairs, sitting on the back of the couch, or curling up on our shoes. He'd only do the latter as we prepared to leave somewhere (because humans can't leave the house without their shoes). At times, I even swear he would attempt to talk. He'd devise clever ways of telling us things, a happy-chortle for doing the right thing or a series of low "muur's" to indicate a need (food, water, new litter, or "pats"). We quickly picked up his feline language and were able to immediately discern his requests. My was he smart, so much so that it was he who trained us, rather than the other way around.
It's funny, because Alexei was very much a contradiction: A homebody that loved to roam, very social but also aloof, quiet but always the center of attention. We raised him from a virtual kitten to a solid Senior Citizen. All the while, he stayed his wonderful Super-Cat self (and even learned how to open a few doors). In the end, he was surrounded, and doted on, by (worried) humans. He calmly lay in his favorite spot, tucked away in his little bed, covered by his warm, blue blanket. When the time came, he took a giant breath in and released it for the last time. I ran my fingers gently across his half-shut lids, closing them and stroked his still warm cheek. Then, I gave him a final pat--for the road. All I could think about was how I'd never see his sweet eyes again, or admire his black-tipped "Lynx" ears, or hear his familiar chortle "hello"....
As I write about my friend, the house is strangely quiet; Rain softly falls outside. There was fog on the River earlier but, oddly, when I dropped my little friend at the vet's office for the last time, it lifted; White waves of vapor slowly rose up through the atmosphere...It was as if Alexei was saying a final good-bye.
Sad as I am, I'm grateful to have known such a wonderful spirit. Good-bye, my little wonder cat, you were loved (and will be greatly missed)!