This is Shadow. We adopted Shadow and his brother, Lynx when they were only one month old. Shadow weighed one pound and Lynx was only ¾ of a pound! It was my absolute dream to have “Siamese” cats and I quickly learned how easy it was to adopt cats with this “look” without having to buy and contribute to the homeless cat crisis.
Shadow was the love of my life (sorry, Jake, but he totally understands!) This cat was amazing, and we were very bonded. I loved how he would sit on my left hip and suckle on my ear lobe. He was like an infant and would ask to be picked up. His favorite toy was a lightweight jingly ball. He would bat them around everywhere and would carry them and call. He would leave them in my purse and in my shoes, so cute!
When they were wee
Q-tips and plastic milk jug rings were a hit with these two trouble makers as was toilet paper and "foraging" in the kitchen cabinets which quickly earned them child safety locks. These were the early years, before food puzzle toys.
It is difficult to talk about those who were so special to you, it can be hard to summarize their life in a just a few paragraphs. I used to joke that I couldn’t have loved him more if I gave birth to him myself, now I feel that way about Hitch, but I suppose it is ok to share that feeling with others.
Shadow left us at only 14 years, not even close to long enough. He and his brother both were diabetic and hyperthyroid. They both also later developed liver disease, IBD and pancreatitis (otherwise known as “triaditis”). They acquired these diseases in a different order, but they had all the same genetic issues. The benefit of adopting related cats is they are instant friends for life and have a playmate in each other, the downside is the host of medical issues and losing them close together.
Always adopt littermates, keep family together, this is how cats thrive.
We used to call him Shadow Dancin’ after that 70’s song, which later morphed into “Deathwish Dancin’” because he did a lot of daredevil things and often injured himself! All of our pets have a ridiculous number of nicknames so far removed from their original name it only makes sense to us! We miss this boy so much, but it feels good to look back on who we have called family and all they have taught us.
We are the lucky ones.
