1995 was a tough year for me. My Grandmother, who I was especially close to passed away in April. The next month, my neighbor found a little 4-5 week old Siamese Snowshoe kitten in the middle of the street and picked him up so he wouldn't get hit by a car. When I asked to hold the kitten, she handed him to me and said, "I'm not taking him back.".
That's how the story started.
Scoozer was a handful as a kitten. He insisted on things his way...ALWAYS! I tried to make him an indoor cat, but he would have none of that. He sprayed until I let him out, even after being neutered. Once he could go outside, it was fine, he came and went as he pleased through a cat door.
I have a real problem with migraines. When I would have a particularly bad one that put me in bed, Scoozer would wrap himself around the top of my head and purr softly. It always made the pain go away and feel better.
Scoozer Klun, Medicine Kitty!
I used to live in fear of his "gifts" to me. I always kept one eye out if I saw him walking up the sidewalk with something hanging out of his mouth. I would dive at the cat door like a baseball player sliding into home base to shut off the cat door in case he was bringing me yet another live mouse.
Everyone in the neighborhood knew Scoozer. He ruled it, he OWNED it! He was a huge cat and never hesitated to use his size to his advantage. If there was an altercation amongst cats, everyone on the block knew Scooze was involved. EVERYONE! It used to crack me up when I would hear a cat fight outside, and 2 or 3 of my neighbors would yell out their doors,
"Scooze! Knock it off!"
This cat was seriously famous!
One of my neighbors parents were in town visiting. Nikki's dad walked in her house as we were visiting over a glass of wine and said,
"I just saw the biggest cat of my life! That thing was the
size of a mountain lion, but it looked like a Siamese. It started stalking me. I didn't take any chances, I came inside".
Nikki and I had a good laugh and explained that what he saw was my cat. Nikki invited Scooze in, and her dad realized that the massive cat he saw was actually just a big sweetheart and no real threat.
My neighbor across the street was a woman named Barbara. She told me that Scooze used to let himself into her house (through her cat door), eat all of her cat's food, walk over and give her his regards and then leave.
The couple three doors down had a baby girl named Mattie. When Mattie was just starting to walk, her mother Jen would help her walk down the sidewalk. When they got in front of my house Mattie would stop and yell,
"Scoo! Scoo! Scoo!"
My big beautiful man would RUN from wherever he was in the neighborhood to Mattie. He would head butt her, usually knocking her down and then the two of them would roll around on the sidewalk and love on one another as Mattie squealed in delight.
I noticed that he would snuggle with me during the night, but would disappear early in the morning for an hour or two, then crawl back in bed with me and fall back asleep. I mentioned this to my neighbor Jacob who Scooze was particularly fond of. He solved the puzzle for me.
Jacob worked an early morning shift. He would usually get up around 4:30am, let out his dog Lady to potty, and Scooze would come in at the same time. Then he would make himself a pot of coffee. He and Scooze always had their morning coffee together. When, he headed off to work around 5:45am, Scooze would come back home and crawl back into bed with me.
The story's go on and on.
I loved this cat without reservation, and I lost him Sunday night while he was in the hospital fighting an abscess and renal failure. I went in yesterday morning to say goodbye to his lifeless body. At almost 19, he wasn't as big as he once was, but he was just as handsome. Even the vet had tears in her eyes. She realized what a special guy he was.
Goodbye my sweet boy, I miss you so much already. Wait for me at the bridge, I will see you again. Mommy's heart is shattered but she loves you forever and ever!!!
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