Tye

"Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things,
man will not himself find peace." -- Albert Schweitzer

In November 1998, I met Tye. I walked into the pet supply store near my office to buy some cat food, and there he was, sitting on top of a perch near the front door of the store. He was at least 10-12 years old, was painfully thin and had a very sour expression on his face - but despite that, he was also breathtakingly beautiful, with huge, clear green eyes and a burnished, classic tabby coat. He grudgingly allowed me to pet him briefly before stalking off to hide in the back of the store.

I started asking questions about him and was told a heartbreaking story. He had been anonymously abandoned at a local shelter in extremely poor physical condition. The shelter considered him unadoptable and was going to euthanize him, but the store owner rescued him and was nursing him back to health. He’d been living at her store for over 3 months, waiting to be adopted; but because of his age and continuing health problems, and what appeared to be a very cranky disposition, no one seemed to want him.

I walked out of the store in tears that day. I didn’t feel ready to adopt another cat, because I was still grieving pretty hard for Major; but something was telling me that Tye needed me. I didn’t know what to do, so the next day I called the store and said that I would think about adopting Tye, but needed some time before making a decision.

I spent the next six weeks thinking it over and visiting Tye every few days at the store to try to get to know him better. He was a very curmudgeonly cat, who as often as not would go and hide when I came into the store. I had grave misgivings about adopting him, primarily because I doubted if he and I would be able to form a bond - he really did not seem to like me much. But no matter how many times I would tell myself that adopting Tye was not a good idea, there was a tiny, persistent voice somewhere in the back of my head that kept saying “You must adopt this cat”.

So finally, on New Year’s Eve, 1998, I signed the adoption papers and took him home. He cried in the back seat of my car the whole way home - and I cried too, because I was so afraid that I was making a huge mistake. But when we got to the house, I brought him into the guestroom, closed the door, opened the carrier - and out popped a completely different cat! Oh, it was Tye all right, but not the cranky old sourpuss I had picked up at the store just an hour earlier. This cat was purring like a chainsaw, giving me headbutts, and enthusiastically playing with the catnip toy I’d brought home for him. I was speechless with surprise. That homecoming was better than anything I could have possibly hoped for.

Tye has been with me for nearly a year now. He has Inflammatory Bowel Disease and some pretty severe food allergies, but after months of experimenting, I have figured out a diet that works for him, and he’s doing great. He’s gained weight, and looks sleek and oh so very handsome, and he has the softest fur I have ever felt on a cat! He has impeccable manners and is a perfect gentleman. And best of all, he’s happy and contented. All that grouchy, miserable cat needed in order to transform himself into a sweetheart, was a home and someone to love him. We did not love each other at first sight, but we have forged a very strong bond. Every morning when I sit down at my desk, he comes and sits in front of me, and purrs, and offers me his forehead for a kiss - and I fall in love with him all over again. Having Tye here with me was meant to be.

October, 1999

Update June 2000: In March 2000, Tye was diagnosed with Feline Chronic Renal Failure (CRF). We have embarked on a new set of challenges and experiences together as I learn about how to manage this disease. Feline CRF is ultimately a terminal illness, but with care and luck we will be able to slow the progress of the disease significantly and give Tye many more months, or even years, of a happy life. So far, he's doing very well and his condition is stable, and I have high hopes that he will continue to do well for a long time to come.

Update March 2001: After nearly a year of relatively good health despite the CRF diagnosis, Tye recently suffered a severe setback and was diagnosed with hypertension. The full story is here, and it's a must-read for anyone whose cat is at risk for hypertension: cats with CRF; cats with hyperthyroidism; cats with diabetes; overweight cats; and mature and elderly cats. Thankfully, Tye has responded beautifully to treatment and his condition has re-stabilized.

Update January 2002: After seeing in the New Year and our third anniversary together, Tye took a sudden turn for the worse, and died at home in early January. I am grateful that he continued in relatively good health almost to the end and that his final struggle with CRF was brief. He is deeply missed.

I think that if Tye were to leave a message behind as his legacy, it would be to encourage people to adopt older pets. The mature adult animals who end up at shelters face dismal prospects of finding homes, yet they make such wonderful companions. I love the mystery of these older animals, of where they came from and what life experiences they have had. I love the wisdom that shines in their eyes. I love their appreciation of the comfort and contentment they enjoy in their final years. Tye brought beauty, dignity and grace to my life, and I am thankful for the fate that brought us together.

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