So long, my couch potato pal...

We lost one of the star attractions to our zoo yesterday. Popsicle, our larger than life kitty, was put to rest. He had a major buildup of fluid around his heart that was crushing his lungs, most likely attributed to some manner of heart disease or even a return of cancer. Either way, he was facing only a few months at best, most likely just miserable days.

He was the quintessential lap-and-a-half cat, so large that regardless the size of your thunder thighs, he'd still end up spilling his caboose out of your lap. His purring motor would cause a Hemi to throw a valve, and could often be heard from a couple of rooms away. In his prime he tipped the scales at 22 lbs., and he knew it - instead of running from the dog, he tossed out an anchor and would open up a wide-mouth can of cotton-swab whoopass (read: no claws) on any part of Jesse the Longnosed Slobbery Tyrant that got within striking distance.

As you might expect, the highlight of his day was eating. A vet at one time told us he did have a thyroid condition (no, really, he did!), but even once that cleared up he could out-eat my pregnant wife me every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Most days he would shove his brother to the side to help him finish his portion, before returning to his bowl to finish his own.

Finally, he was our million dollar cat, figuratively and almost quite literally:

• Four trips to the vet opthamologist for a lacerated cornea from fighting with his brother.
• A couple nights stay at the vet's office where they gave him two enemas and he still didn't poop til they gave him a third one and sent him home with us!
• A thyroid condition that increased his appetite and decreased his fur.
• A cancerous lump on the back of his neck. Made him look like a camel.
• Unknown amounts of presents.
• Repeated attempts by me to turn him in to Mr. Bigglesworth.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'll miss him.

From Our zoo