Hobo
A donation was made in memory of Hobo on Feb 17, 2010.
Hobes came to us as a little runaway kitten, and if you want to be cute about it, I guess you could say he ran away with our hearts.
Since he was such a very young kitten when he came to us, he still very much wanted a mommy. He tried to charm our Beagle into the job, and she grew to eventually tolerate him lying near her, but never really was interested in the nurturing role.
So I got the job. And since I was already charmed, it didn’t take any convincing on his part.
He was born to love. Distrustful of strangers (most visitors never saw him), but extremely affectionate with those he “chose”, he was a cat who insisted on loving and being loved.
He followed me around the house, jumping from furniture to counter and back again, pawing at me, trying to get me to pick him up. He loved to be held and carried around. He liked to kiss (licking our noses) and would do it for my husband and I on request. He nuzzled and cuddled and rubbed against our legs, constantly claiming us as his.
All our neighbors always fell in love with him. And who wouldn’t? If he decided you were ok, he needed to show it and those who knew him well always exclaimed over his friendliness.
He came when called and, probably from his early days on the road, always knew to watch out for cars. We’d take the dog out for a walk and Hobes would follow us to the end of the block and then meow at us as if to ask us not to go any further, or maybe just to tell us to hurry back—and then he’d wait for us. He’d hide under a parked car and come out to greet us when we returned, again meowing—“what took you so long?”
If we left in the car, he’d always be there to greet us upon our return, running down the front stairs to meet us and then expecting to be picked up and carried back up them for his efforts!
He loved the outdoors and was the bully of the neighborhood, considering quite a bit of it his territory. And woe be to the cat who wandered into that territory! He felt his job was to protect his land and family and he had the notched ears to prove he took his job seriously!
We once found out just how large his territory was. In speaking to neighbors down at the other end and back side of the block, they said, “Oh, that’s the cat we call “Mr. Orange”. He comes to visit our yard all the time!” Mr. Orange. If no other cats visited their yard, there was a good reason why! He was “protecting” them, too.
He knew all the best places to hide, or just hang out in. No matter what the weather was like, he always came home dry.
He answered to Hobo, Hobes, Hobie, apparently Mr. Orange, and inexplicably, Biscuit or Biz-Quick (but you’d have to ask my husband about those two!) He was a handsome orange tabby who always remained trim. So when he stopped eating, he didn’t have a lot to spare.
Around Thanksgiving of 2009, he seemed…out of sorts. He wasn’t eating his favorite treats and didn’t like to sit in my lap like he always used to. Then he just stopped eating all together. Nothing. All the tests started and what was always a skinny cat turned into a very gaunt cat as they tested and had us try various things. Finally, in desperation, they surgically inserted a tube into his neck and we sat down with him two to three times a day and had to slowly squirt liquefied food into the tube. It helped, but not enough.
They thought he had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and antibiotics were supposed to clear it up. He was supposed to want to start eating on his own, but didn’t, wouldn’t. They tested more, looking for cancer but didn’t find any. Then he developed kidney failure. Now we were feeding him through a tube and giving him fluids under the skin. He didn’t like that much. He had so many shaved spots from IV’s and surgeries that we turned the heat up so he wouldn’t get too cold.
He missed the out of doors so much that we bought a dog Snuggie and a halter leash and took him outside, just so he could smell the smells and see all the sights that he missed so much. He tried hard to get out all his old routes but of course we couldn’t let him go. I was so glad that he didn’t see when a neighborhood cat came brazenly into our yard later. He would’ve hated that.
When Hobes got sick, I was on a prolonged stint of Jury Duty and most of his care—all the Vet appts, feedings, meds, etc. fell to my husband. And Hobes was grateful. He responded by giving my husband the kind of love and attention that normally he only showed to me. I admit I was jealous, but I was also glad my husband got to experience that for himself. And I am eternally grateful to him for taking such good care of our sweet cat.
When Hobes’ breathing became labored, it was time. We’d tried SO hard to help him. His wonderful Vets at Elliott Bay Animal Hospital and ACCES in Seattle did everything they could to save him. Whatever it was-- cancer or something else, it was just too much and we said good bye to him on January 11, 2010.
I admit I expected him to be legendary. One of those cats that lives to be ancient, beyond anything typical, because HE was beyond anything typical. SO much personality, so much love. I can only say that I’m so grateful that he was with us for as long as he was…I just wish it could’ve been much, much longer.
We love you, Hobes. We miss you.
Mom and Dad
Since he was such a very young kitten when he came to us, he still very much wanted a mommy. He tried to charm our Beagle into the job, and she grew to eventually tolerate him lying near her, but never really was interested in the nurturing role.
So I got the job. And since I was already charmed, it didn’t take any convincing on his part.
He was born to love. Distrustful of strangers (most visitors never saw him), but extremely affectionate with those he “chose”, he was a cat who insisted on loving and being loved.
He followed me around the house, jumping from furniture to counter and back again, pawing at me, trying to get me to pick him up. He loved to be held and carried around. He liked to kiss (licking our noses) and would do it for my husband and I on request. He nuzzled and cuddled and rubbed against our legs, constantly claiming us as his.
All our neighbors always fell in love with him. And who wouldn’t? If he decided you were ok, he needed to show it and those who knew him well always exclaimed over his friendliness.
He came when called and, probably from his early days on the road, always knew to watch out for cars. We’d take the dog out for a walk and Hobes would follow us to the end of the block and then meow at us as if to ask us not to go any further, or maybe just to tell us to hurry back—and then he’d wait for us. He’d hide under a parked car and come out to greet us when we returned, again meowing—“what took you so long?”
If we left in the car, he’d always be there to greet us upon our return, running down the front stairs to meet us and then expecting to be picked up and carried back up them for his efforts!
He loved the outdoors and was the bully of the neighborhood, considering quite a bit of it his territory. And woe be to the cat who wandered into that territory! He felt his job was to protect his land and family and he had the notched ears to prove he took his job seriously!
We once found out just how large his territory was. In speaking to neighbors down at the other end and back side of the block, they said, “Oh, that’s the cat we call “Mr. Orange”. He comes to visit our yard all the time!” Mr. Orange. If no other cats visited their yard, there was a good reason why! He was “protecting” them, too.
He knew all the best places to hide, or just hang out in. No matter what the weather was like, he always came home dry.
He answered to Hobo, Hobes, Hobie, apparently Mr. Orange, and inexplicably, Biscuit or Biz-Quick (but you’d have to ask my husband about those two!) He was a handsome orange tabby who always remained trim. So when he stopped eating, he didn’t have a lot to spare.
Around Thanksgiving of 2009, he seemed…out of sorts. He wasn’t eating his favorite treats and didn’t like to sit in my lap like he always used to. Then he just stopped eating all together. Nothing. All the tests started and what was always a skinny cat turned into a very gaunt cat as they tested and had us try various things. Finally, in desperation, they surgically inserted a tube into his neck and we sat down with him two to three times a day and had to slowly squirt liquefied food into the tube. It helped, but not enough.
They thought he had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and antibiotics were supposed to clear it up. He was supposed to want to start eating on his own, but didn’t, wouldn’t. They tested more, looking for cancer but didn’t find any. Then he developed kidney failure. Now we were feeding him through a tube and giving him fluids under the skin. He didn’t like that much. He had so many shaved spots from IV’s and surgeries that we turned the heat up so he wouldn’t get too cold.
He missed the out of doors so much that we bought a dog Snuggie and a halter leash and took him outside, just so he could smell the smells and see all the sights that he missed so much. He tried hard to get out all his old routes but of course we couldn’t let him go. I was so glad that he didn’t see when a neighborhood cat came brazenly into our yard later. He would’ve hated that.
When Hobes got sick, I was on a prolonged stint of Jury Duty and most of his care—all the Vet appts, feedings, meds, etc. fell to my husband. And Hobes was grateful. He responded by giving my husband the kind of love and attention that normally he only showed to me. I admit I was jealous, but I was also glad my husband got to experience that for himself. And I am eternally grateful to him for taking such good care of our sweet cat.
When Hobes’ breathing became labored, it was time. We’d tried SO hard to help him. His wonderful Vets at Elliott Bay Animal Hospital and ACCES in Seattle did everything they could to save him. Whatever it was-- cancer or something else, it was just too much and we said good bye to him on January 11, 2010.
I admit I expected him to be legendary. One of those cats that lives to be ancient, beyond anything typical, because HE was beyond anything typical. SO much personality, so much love. I can only say that I’m so grateful that he was with us for as long as he was…I just wish it could’ve been much, much longer.
We love you, Hobes. We miss you.
Mom and Dad
