Patch came into our lives a bit over four years ago. My partner, Anna, was looking for a cat to share her home with. We knew it would be a rescue cat, Anna's preference was for 5 years +, female (so she didn't have to put up with all the crap that comes with a tom), no ongoing medical or dietary issues, active and a personality she could engage with. After many weeks searching and visiting too many (from the point of view that they shouldn't be needed) rescue centres we ended up the Derby RSPCA centre. As I recall we had gone to see an animal Anna had seen on their website, but someone had already given her a home. Of the others one was aggressive and the others had dietary or behaviour problems Anna wasn't prepared to take on.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r28...w?usp=drivesdk
And then there was Patch, who ticked all the wrong boxes: he was male, 15 years old and had a heart murmur. But it was his character that negated all that. He looked us in the eyes and his manner was “I maybe 15 but I feel and act a lot younger “ , so he proved! On opening the door to his pen he jumped the 4 feet to the floor without hesitation and walked around examining us and the area . He didn't complain about being picked up, showing interest in his surroundings and responded to his name. Patch wasn't a stray or abandoned, his previous owner was forced to give him up as he had been made homeless. Patch had obviously been loved and cared for. I was taken by him and even considered having him myself if Anna didn't! Fortunately Patch convinced Anna he was the one for her and we reserved him. Two visits later we were taking him to his forever home. We were conscious that, because of his age, we might not have him long past a year but our feeling was he deserved a good life and would brighten our lives in repayment.
In the event Patch was with us nearly 5 years. He definitely had a personality and quickly settled in and accepted Anna .There was a period of adjustment on our part, he didn't like his feet or belly touching and, contrary to his behaviour in the kennels, didn't like strangers. He accepted me and Anna's son Andrew but anyone else came in the house and he was gone!
Patch had a few medical problems over the years but few you would expect from a cat his age, in fact he lived like he was half his age which caused us some worries that he would get into trouble or do himself an injury attempting something he was past being capable of. But last week he started having problems walking and wouldn't eat or drink. The vet said it might be heart disease and they kept him over the weekend to rehydrate him and get him eating, which he did. He came home Sunday night and Monday he was fit and like his usual self. Tuesday morning Anna was at work and she saw Patch, on a webcam, immobile on the floor. When she got home Patch was in his basket but one of his back legs was paralysed. That evening Anna called me, choking back tears to say she had an appointment with the vet in half an hour and I needed to be there to say goodbye. The diagnosis was bad, a blood clot had blocked the artery to his leg and it was now effectively dead. It was the end. The vet gave him a sedative to knock him out before the last injection and Anna and I were able to while he went under, even then Patch put up a fight, resisting the drug so much he had to be given a second dose. Then it really was goodbye.
Goodbye my friend. Rest in peace.
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Originally Posted by NSB
