Johnny

So many people loved and feared Johnny over the years.  He was as welcoming as a dog when people he cared about would drive up to the house, but those same delighted people would often not dare to pet him.  He was so sensitive both physically and emotionally that one never could tell when they’d cross the line and may get a sudden lashing springing right out of the previous purring!  Of course hat was a rare occurrence with the family.  He tried to be patient with us, and vice versa.  

Johnny was such a large and wonderful specimen of a cat.  At his peak, he weighed 17lbs.  Gracie and I would say “17lbs of joy!”  

He had a good friend, Luker, who he welcomed into the house about a year after he arrived.  Like Johnny, Luker somehow found our home and stuck around.  Actually, the unusual thing about Johnny was that he appeared in the back yard, not the front.  And he had a flea collar on.  We tried and tried to find his home, but never did and boy am I glad since he is one of my favorite people whom I’ve ever known.  

He seemed to change to a nurse when we were sick and would come to lay his healing hands (actually whole body) on us as we lay in bed.  What a wonderful gift he gave, doing that.  I miss so many things about him, and that is definitely one of them.  Johnny used to worry if we went to the neighbors’ houses in the evening and we’d often see him sitting by their door waiting for us to return home.  The pet psychic said he was an exceptional communicator and that rings true in my opinion.  

He lived a long life, though he was quite sick at the end.  Thanks to Dr.  Forslund, we felt at peace with his illness because we knew he wasn’t suffering and we knew she would advise us as to when he was ready to pass on (not too soon, or too late is what everybody is wanting and yet trying to determine that can drive one to distraction).  

With Dr Forslund at my side (by phone or in person) I knew I wasn’t alone making this difficult determination.  It made all the difference.  He was too ill for vet visits, so she came to him and treated him in hospice settings, right on his bed.  He always perked up after her visits.  She knew what would make him more comfortable.  He lived beyond what the vets thought possible, with her gentle care.  He even caught a rat in those last weeks!  What a remarkable cat.

He was the King of this house and maybe still is.

Karen Malley
Anaheim