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How did we wind up with the best kitty in the world? I’m embarrassed to say that the story doesn’t always reflect well on me.
We had two cats, Plutus and Roo, and they were very good buddies. When Roo died, it was clear that Plutus really needed a companion. After years of all the cats in the house clearly being “Jennifer’s cats”, I graciously allowed Doug to select the next member of our household.
We went to Protectors of Animals* in East Hartford, Conn., where we had previously adopted Plutus. As we strolled through the shelter, no cat especially called to me, but Doug said “how about this one?” to a very vocal one-year old black cat named Jackson.
I thought his bristly coat looked a little ratty (it pains me to say it now!), but Doug insisted that he seemed very sociable and was literally speaking to us. I mean, he actually meowed every time we walked by his cage.
Since it was Doug’s turn to choose, I agreed. On the way home, we renamed him Mr. Knightley, after a character from Jane Austen’s Emma.
He very quickly became Mr. K, which of course has derivatives such as K-Bear, K-Kitty, Honey Bear, Honey Bunny, Bunny Bear, Honey Bunny Bear, Baby Bear, etc.
After getting Mr. K home, upgrading his diet, and giving him some regular brushing, his coat turned bright and shiny.
Later as a volunteer at Protectors of Animals, I would always try to brush cats so they’d look their best on adoption day.
Mr. K was the Lord of the Manor from the moment he came home. Not only did he not hide under the furniture, he informed Plutus right away that he, Mr. K, would now be the dominant cat in the household. (Plutus, always agreeable, readily said “okie dokie”.)
Mr. K showed his large personality right from the beginning. He was always clear in what he wanted (and what he didn’t!), which was very often to be with his humans. Because Doug worked from home, Mr. K soon became attached to Doug–but that was only temporary.
It wasn’t long before Mr. K clearly, slowly became “my” cat. He would wait in the bay window for me to get home from work, then faithfully run to greet me at the door when I came into the house. And he developed a large vocabulary and always spoke when spoken to.
During the pandemic when I began working from home, Mr. K really became my shadow, and it’s not my fault. I’m sure he understood my whispering “I love you more than daddy” in his ear was all in good fun!
He was truly the absolute best cat, such a great personality and with a strong “go with the flow” attitude. Mr. K would check in with repair people when work needed to be done in the house, and make a point of strutting by when guests came to call just so they could admire him and loft some praise in his direction.
One of his favorite activities was to look out the windows at the birds, squirrels and chipmunks in the yard (though when brown bears meandered by he was not very pleased).
Though he was an indoor cat, he did once escape through a loose screen in a basement window, capture a chipmunk, and then present the stunned-but-still-alive creature to us in the bedroom.
Often, we would put him into a fun run tunnel so he could sit outside with us. Over the next ten years he stayed only in our Farmington home or yard, except for trips to the vet.
Almost every single day (and sometimes multiple times a day) he would “catch” his toy mouse and meow loudly while bringing it to us, to which we always heaped on the praise and caresses.
As outlined in our post “Mr. K, Adventure Kitty,” the last year held huge changes for our sweet boy, as we sold the house, bounced around several times, and took off in a van. Mr. K always seemed to say “well, if I’m with my humans, it must be okay, so I’m okay, too.” We just can’t believe how great he did with everything. We wanted to give him everything and show him the world.
And now some bad news…
A few months ago, we noticed his tongue was occasionally sticking out of this mouth, just a little, and after that we noticed a little more drool than normal. At first we thought it was just him showing his age (13 years young!), but it seemed to get slowly worse. He showed absolutely zero other signs of any problems at all — his appetite, energy and interests were all normal. Still, we made an appointment with a veterinarian near my parents, thinking he was have some dental issues that needed to be addressed.
Right before the appointment, though, I felt a lump under his chin, and I immediately knew something sinister was afoot. The vet confirmed our worst fears: he had a cancerous growth all along his jawline and into his mouth, with no treatment possible. Even worse, it was fast-moving, and we were told to prepare for the end to arrive not in months but in weeks.
Needless to say, we were completely devastated by this news. However, there were many things to be grateful for. First and foremost, Mr. K was in no distress whatsoever. Additionally, we had no obligations elsewhere we needed to attend to, and so were able to park the van at my parents house in N.J., where he was comfortable and happy and could be loved (so loved!) by my parents as well as by us.
For the next two weeks, we gave him the best we could — so many treats, so much love, so many walks. On one walk we found a toad, which Mr. K was absolutely delighted by, oh-so-gently giving it a tap when it stopped hopping.
Through the very end, Mr. K’s energy and attitude were normal, but his ability to eat and drink gradually declined. First he wasn’t able to eat dry food. Then chunky moist food got difficult for him to handle. I found some liquid meals and switched him to those, and he loved them.
But this past Sunday, it was clear that he was struggling to eat even the softest of food and his water intake was also taking a sharp decline.
We spent the night barely sleeping, aware that these were likely our last hours with him. On Monday morning we presented him with his harness and leash and he trotted over, eager to head outside to explore, though with noticeably less energy than had been typical.
And so we took him for one last walk, almost an hour and a half of one final adventure.
We woke my mom so she could give him the last “morning scritches” that he so loved.
And then we headed back to the veterinarian’s office.
We are totally shattered over the loss of our beloved and amazing kitty. He was a truly wonderful and we’ll never get over this loss. We’re forever grateful that he came into our lives and made it better. We’re heartbroken over the adventures he is going to miss.
Mr. K, we love you to the moon and back times infinity. Thank you for being the best kitty in the world.
Here are some bonus pictures of our boy:
*After adopting Mr. K from Protectors of Animals, I became a sporadic but faithful volunteer at the shelter for several years. POA is located in a humble strip mall, but a more dedicated group of volunteers you will not find. This place is almost entirely volunteer-run, and they have the utmost love and concern for the animals under their care. I volunteered on the cat side of things, and can attest that any cat had a home there as long as needed, and every attempt was made to care for cats and prepare them for adoption with the right family. I can only assume the “dog side” has the same level of devotion.
Jen & Doug,
This is gut-wrenching. I am sobbing with sorrow for both of you. Life is indeed such a heavy lift when our fur babies leave us. It’s comforting to hear Mr. K’s last days were bright and beautiful.
Thanks, I know you know what is it to love your cat so much. It’s hard to imagine feeling whole again.
My eyes are misty and my heart hurts for you! Thank you for sharing your wonderful Mr. K and giving him the best life. You were one of my biggest helps when we got adopted by Rainbow. Prayers to you along with hugs, and love.
Thanks so much Mary. It was a joy to watch you transform from tentative cat-owner to loving cat-mom.
So sorry to learn of Mr. K’s passing. What a wonderful and productive life he lived bringing so much joy to you a Doug.
I come from a long line of cat lovers. We took everyone in because when I was growing up, people thought it was fine to “drop off” unwanted pets at our farm. I’m so glad my daughters also love rescue kitties and both have adopted brothers.
May your many memories help you though this sad time.
I’m enjoying your “on the road” adventures. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for your kind words!