Boots (RB) (1996-2009)
At age 13, the last 3 of those years with CRF & a heart condition, Boots' last day on this planet was 6-11-09.
Merlin found Boots on the sidewalk, outside the fence where the feral colony lived, across the street from our apartment in Brooklyn. From that day Boots and Merlin were best buddies. Boots was maybe 4 weeks old and in pretty bad shape, flea ridden & filthy. We had no idea he was grey *and white* until we cleaned him up. Bill stayed up all night that first night, to make sure Boots pulled through.
Orion, who hated (loathed & despised) the previous 2 cats we had tried to adopt, took to Boots instantly also. We always suspected that they were related genetically somehow, being from the same colony, and having the same bow legged stance in their back-legs. The photos on the "all together" page show glimpses of their friendship. In the end times, Orion gave Boots a free pass on everything. Boots would nudge Orion away from his food bowl -- kind of nose in from beneath Orion's face, and Orion would just walk over to Boot's bowl, and not make a fuss at all. I don't know, that might be normal, but it's sure not what we've been led to believe in general about cat behavior.
Boots always had a sense of humor, and was the ringleader when it came to knocking over dog biscuit boxes, anything to help his buddy. Of course it didn't hurt that he really enjoyed eating dog biscuits too. He loved to move the water bowl to the center of all human foot traffic in order that said water bowl should get kicked and the water therein be splashed everywhere. Since he's gone the water bowl stays where it's been placed, and that makes his absence that much more noticeable and sad.
He was a gentle soul who was much loved, and we miss him terribly. I'm not really the type to believe in Rainbow Bridge or similar stories, but I do like to believe that Boots & Merlin's spirits are together somehow, somewhere... chewin' on the best grass, throwin' up on the best rugs.
