Jake and Chloe: Au Revoir
As many of you know, my partner will be moving to New York to join me here at General in a few weeks. Because we will live together in this small apartment, we had to make the hard decision that there is just not enough room for me, Partner, the dog Franklin, AND two cats (with accompanying litter box). So we had to find a home for Jake, our 22 lb.+ tabby cat, and Chloe, his slimmer tortoise shell companion.
Fortunately my niece was delighted to adopt them. She lives in Austin, where she will get married in April to another good and giving soul. They are meeting Partner in Memphis this weekend for the hand-off of our sweet kitties.
I am very sad that Jake and Chloe will not be in the house when I return to Indy in a few weeks to help with the move. They are both fairly quiet (although Chloe has become a bit more vocal in the last year), but they were always a delightful presence in the house. I know that Franklin will miss them both. Jake has always been a buddy (after all, they pretty much match, pound for pound!) and Chloe has been the eternal prey - Franklin loves to try to catch her, although he would not know what to do with her if he did! In any event, I expect that the next week will be confusing and depressing for him, as he wonders where his companions have gone. Don is taking him along on the trip, especially to provide companionship for the lonely ride home.
We adopted these two cats in early 1999, less than a year before we left Washington, DC. They were a little over a year old, and we were their third owners. They joined our other cat, Glenda, who we had to put to sleep this past January at the age of 18 years (RIP, you cranky thing you). Glenda took to Jake almost immediately (I think he might have sparked a memory of her littermate Ziggy, who we had to put to sleep in the mid-90s), but she and Chloe were archrivals. Still, we were a family, to which Franklin the Scotty was added in March 2000.
I am pleased that we provided a stable home for Jake and Chloe for so many years. And I am SO glad that they will still be in the family - although sadly many, many miles away. At least we'll get to hear about how they're doing, and maybe see a picture or two.
For so many of us who do not have children, our pets are a close substitute. My father, who was never terribly sentimental about animals, has even come around to understanding how important they are to us, often asking after their health. It is a little hard for me to imagine that they will no longer be part of our lives.
Farewell, dear friends. I hope that I will get another chance to nuzzle you, and to whisper in your ears how much you mean to me. Until then, thank you for the pleasure and unconditional love you have given me.
Fortunately my niece was delighted to adopt them. She lives in Austin, where she will get married in April to another good and giving soul. They are meeting Partner in Memphis this weekend for the hand-off of our sweet kitties.
I am very sad that Jake and Chloe will not be in the house when I return to Indy in a few weeks to help with the move. They are both fairly quiet (although Chloe has become a bit more vocal in the last year), but they were always a delightful presence in the house. I know that Franklin will miss them both. Jake has always been a buddy (after all, they pretty much match, pound for pound!) and Chloe has been the eternal prey - Franklin loves to try to catch her, although he would not know what to do with her if he did! In any event, I expect that the next week will be confusing and depressing for him, as he wonders where his companions have gone. Don is taking him along on the trip, especially to provide companionship for the lonely ride home.
We adopted these two cats in early 1999, less than a year before we left Washington, DC. They were a little over a year old, and we were their third owners. They joined our other cat, Glenda, who we had to put to sleep this past January at the age of 18 years (RIP, you cranky thing you). Glenda took to Jake almost immediately (I think he might have sparked a memory of her littermate Ziggy, who we had to put to sleep in the mid-90s), but she and Chloe were archrivals. Still, we were a family, to which Franklin the Scotty was added in March 2000.
I am pleased that we provided a stable home for Jake and Chloe for so many years. And I am SO glad that they will still be in the family - although sadly many, many miles away. At least we'll get to hear about how they're doing, and maybe see a picture or two.
For so many of us who do not have children, our pets are a close substitute. My father, who was never terribly sentimental about animals, has even come around to understanding how important they are to us, often asking after their health. It is a little hard for me to imagine that they will no longer be part of our lives.
Farewell, dear friends. I hope that I will get another chance to nuzzle you, and to whisper in your ears how much you mean to me. Until then, thank you for the pleasure and unconditional love you have given me.
posted by Sam | 6:52 PM
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