Back in 1996, Greg brought home two kittens. His co-worker's cat had a litter and we were excited to get two brothers. This was the first time we had pets together. I grew up with a million cats and I was thrilled to have them again. Two years ago, we lost Atticus (on the right) to cancer. The last few months of his life were hard. He was so sick and it was hard to watch him go through that. His passing was very sad, but still having Trilly (on the left) made the grieving process a bit easier. This picture is the one framed picture we have of them. It sits on my piano and I like seeing it everyday.
Last month, Trilly passed away. One Friday, he was perfectly normal for a 16 year old cat. Of course, he was slowing down, but still healthy in all regards. Then by Sunday, he could barely eat or walk. I spent the week with him (my boss is quite amazing). It was a very hard week, but I'm so grateful that I was able to help him through this transition. I pretty much stayed by his side the entire time making sure he was comfortable and didn't hurt himself. He didn't seem to be in pain; it was just his time to go.
Friday, November 2nd, he died just before 8am. We had decided that we would call a vet at 8am to come to our house to put him down. We didn't want him to be in this prolonged state for too long. I'm so glad we didn't have to make that call. I had gone to bed after midnight, but couldn't sleep. I brought Trilly into bed with me and he laid on my chest under the covers for many hours. He was on me when he passed. As sad as it was to have him die, I'm so glad I got to be with him.
Trilly was really a great cat. I wanted to write this post, so that I can remember all the crazy quirky little things that made him so wonderful. Probably my very favorite time with him was spent sitting on the heater, reading with him on my lap. We spent countless hours like this. He was a cat that liked to always be on me. He loved being near the heater and we called him a heat whore often.
Trilly loved beer. Loved it! I had to be careful around him, because he would literally pull the beer bottle away from me, so he could lick the rim. We quickly learned that no glasses on any surface were safe with him around. He would tip over anything with liquid in it. He also loved Pad Thai. I would feed him one long noodle just like a baby bird.
He would also open all cupboard doors. When folks fed him for us when we were traveling, we always had to warn people that we hadn't been broken into and we didn't have a poltergeist. It was quite common to come home and see 8 cupboard doors wide open. He also figured out how to climb into a cupboard with rolling drawers. We would be watching TV and suddenly these rolling drawers would start to open and close all on their own - or so we thought. The first time we were very terrified, until we learned he was opening drawers to maneuver around inside. We also had to keep doors locked and rubber bands on cabinets we didn't want him to open.
It didn't matter what I was doing, he wanted to be involved. This usually meant laying across my arms when I was blogging. Here I'm working on encaustic piece and he's there to help. He also loved my hair and would root around in it as much as he could.
Trilly was a very smart cat. He came when I called and knew many words. He would sit when I told him to (mostly). Every night when I went to bed, I would put treats in both of my hands. He would touch each fist to get his treats. On the rare night, I forgot to get him treats he would meow until I got up, got treats, and then went through our nightly ritual. He slept under the covers with me most nights. He would tap my shoulder and I would lift up the covers for him to climb inside. He liked to sleep down by my knees and feet. I learned, over the years, to turn over without disturbing him. I also didn't sleep a full night in years and years. I was so used to him waking me several times a night.
Trilly loved to lick the condensation off of our windows. He also sat on the sink everyday while I showered. Sometimes he would even get in the shower - if there was no water touching him. After he died, not seeing him waiting for me on the sink after my morning shower was one of the hardest things to get over.
I don't have any kids. Trilly was really the only baby I needed. He would stand on his hind legs and reach up for me - just like a baby. I would pick him up and carry him around the house on my hip - just like a baby. He loved this and often he would jump up on my shoulders. He was not the type of cat that was content to barely interact with us. He was a full member of the family and made his presence known.
Trilly was a hard cat to photograph. The majority of the pictures I have of him are just blurry black blobs. He had a knack for moving at the last second and avoiding my camera. It was so rewarding when I would get a great shot of him since it was so rare.
Greg and Trilly - one of my favorite pictures. Trilly just loved to be held and carried. He was a world class drooler. The moment he was happy and getting some love, the drool would start to flow. A few seconds after this picture was taken, Trilly drooled all over Greg's shirt.
This is the last picture I took of Trilly. We were so lucky to have him in our lives for so long. I still expect to see him when I come home; I truly miss this cat.
