Dewey: In Memorium

Saturday marked what would have been Dewey's 22nd birthday. I just wanted to take a mintue and remember him, his life, and his legacy.

It all started one fateful day when my parents walked into Macey's grocery store and saw a recently posted note on the board by the shopping carts. It read: "Siamese Kittens for Sale". They were selling for $15 a kitten, but the first people there would get their kitten half off. My parents headed to this house and were the first there! All of the kittens were running wilding around, and Dewey just so happened to be the first one they could catch. So it began.

That was 22 years ago. I was a mere one year-old when I met Dewey. I have known him longer than three of my siblings. Dewey was a true member of the family. He had his own chair at the dinner table. He would walk to the fridge and it would be opened unto him. He would walk to the back door and someone would jump up to let him out. He was honored and revered as the Great One.

He was also adorned with many nicknames including, but not limited to: Uncle Feathers, Meat Pants, Variety Meats, Smeagol...to name a few.

Some of my favorite Dewey Moments/Habits include:

-Lying on his back under the Christmas Tree trying to knock down as many ornaments as he could.

-Disappearing for two weeks in the summer, only to return in a very plump and well-fed state.

-Attacking the "bump" in the rug.

-Watching him hopped-up on Cat Nip. Very entertaining.

-Finding him next to the heater on the kitchen floor where he looked him a very adorable rug. You could always find him there in the morning.

-His miraculous recovery he made when he was on his deathbed. Truly a miracle.

-His meow. Or "ma" I should say. Some would call it annoying, but we loved it and miss it. Countless mornings Dewey and Brandon would get talking to each other so loudly that we'd yell at both of them to shut it.

-There was the one summer back in 2006, just six months before he passed, where he disappeared for three weeks. We didn't think that was unusual because he was a very independent cat, but with him getting older we were concerned. As time passed, we resorted to checking the neighbors backyards for any sign of him. Nothing. Another week passed and we heard a familiar meow in the garage. My dad found him in there looking completely haggard and hungrier than we'd ever seen him. He came inside and ate and ate and ate. We're still not sure where he was. But we're convinced he came back just one last time to say goodbye before December.

Dewey left us with a certain emptiness that I'm not sure will ever be adequately filled. We adored him. He was treated as a king; we were his humans living in his house. There was something very elegant about him. We were privileged to have known him as long as we did.