A friend of mine had a mama cat and four kittens dropped on her doorstep in the fall of 1993. I had just moved out of my parents' house into my first apartment. Serendipity.I went over to her house and went into the room where they were keeping the cats. One kitten was nursing, one was in a closet whining, and the other two (one gray and one cream) were running around. I played with the gray one for quite some time. When I stood up to leave I inexplicably picked up the cream one. The rest is history. I named him Tommy after the Primus song, "Tommy the Cat". Yeah, I know. Real original. But I was a huge Primus fan back then.
He was smaller than a chilito (remember those?). He immediately had a house mate named Booger. She was bigger but kind to him and he grew up fast. We moved together into a house with 3 other dudes (including my older brother). One of the other dudes had decided to get one of the litter as well and so Tommy and his biological sister, Tabitha, were reunited for two years. Tommy even became the perfunctory star of the short-lived cable access phenomenon, "Biscuit and Gravy Train".
After the Residence' came 227 in Fern Creek, and then the Castle. After 5 years in the same place, Tommy and I moved again; this time to Nashville, TN. In a short 10 months I got engaged, married, and then grabbed Tommy and loaded up the U-Haul again for Somerville, MA.
Tommy was always the sweetest cat. He would talk to birds, arch his back and dive like Greg Louganis (with a little help from me), walk on ceilings at command, and generally put up with all sorts of crap like wearing costumes and performing for the camera. Tommy was an amazing lap cat and would hop in a stranger's lap as easily as my own. He deferred to the other cats in the house, always letting them run the show. He even had a pretty funny voice, courtesy of my buddy, Jimmy.
Tommy and I were together for about 14 and a half years. And in that time he was a true, unconditional companion. I owe him my life in many ways. If it wasn't for Tommy who knows what would have happened to me? He helped me through many, many, lonely and depressed times. I leaned on him for just about everything.
Tommy was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. His lab results were awful and the decision was made to put him down. We were able to spend time together this past Presidents' Day Weekend. And I was holding his paw when he passed. It's a strange thing to see your buddy lying there, not breathing, staring emptily out the window. I miss him already. Every day. Our other cat, Sophie has taken to lying on the blanket he used right before he died. Maybe it's because it's next to the radiator but I think it's because she knows he's gone.
Tommy was everything to me and there will never ever be another cat like him.
Tommy the Cat
b. August 17, 1993
d. February 19. 2008
