Swizzle
Swizzle joined our family nearly 20 years ago. She was a young cat
whom we'd noticed hanging around in the street near a neighbor's house for
several days. It turned out that she was a stray, a very skinny and pregnant
one. Her tail was amazingly long and slender, like a swizzle stick.
We had a large household of former strays in those days, and once we added
Swizzle to our family, she set out to establish with the other cats that she
was not to be toyed with. She did this by hissing loudly upon entering any
room. Her technique reminded me of a soldier tossing a grenade to
clear out an enemy foxhole. Fortunately, as she got older, Swizzle was
able to relax a bit more. She had established herself as the matriarch, to
be respected by all others.
I adored my precious Swizzle. She had such a strong and steady spirit. There
was depth and calm and innocence in her eyes, and her face was very
pretty, with velvety black ears filled with soft white fur. Her appetite was
hearty (she topped out at 15 or 16 pounds before we started her on a diet),
and she purred easily and loudly. She had good manners, too -- we could
also always count on her to use the scratching post and litter box!
Swizzle's last years were a final testament to her character. She beat the
odds and lived for several years after being diagnosed with failing kidneys
and a thyroid problem. Wonderful care by Dr. Palena and the staff
at Mountain View, and Swizzle's unsinkable spirit, carried her somewhere
close to her 20th birthday. Despite increasing frailty toward the end,
Swizzle would follow me around from room to room, and would start
each bedtime beside me, purring steadily. I loved her with all my heart,
and though I know she had an exceptionally long life, it's hard to accept
the fact that her time here with us had to end.
We give our heartfelt thanks to Mountain View Veterinary Hospital for their
skillful, tender care of Swizzle, and for donating to the WSU program in
Swizzle's memory.
Sheri F. and Don C.
