We adopted Stinker in 1995 at the approximate age of 4 years old from our neighbors at the time. Strapped for cash and a baby on the way, our neighbors could not afford the vet bill to repair her severe wounds from a cat fight. Rather than surgery, Stinker was slated to be put down. We stepped in and found ourselves with a cantankerous but nevertheless lovable cat.
The passage of peaceful time turned Stinker into a much more calm and loving cat. Stinker would typically growl and hiss when touched but in a few years ended up loving belly rubs and sitting on your lap, literally taking you over, with no protest. Purring replaced growling. I remember before we adopted her I was asked by our neighbors to feed her while they were on vacation. She was hungry but had a funny way of showing it. She growled at me the whole time I prepared her food, growled when I set it down for her to eat, and growled until I left her presence. The turnaround was that Stinker ended up loving being in the kitchen while Nancy was cooking. She tried to direct traffic, trip you, and would patrol for droppings. She never growled unless she was booted out of the kitchen. Favorite foods: Pepperoni and tuna, given sparingly.
Stinker's favorite time of year was summer. She would spend evenings chasing and eating crickets like a nutty cat. All over the backyard, in planters and almost in the pool. She pretty much always got her target. The only way to have made it better for her would have been to wrap the crickets in pepperoni. While not chasing crickets she was a professional lounger in the backyard and specialized in ripping open packages of catnip. Stinker, being a female, always helped Nancy in getting ready for work. Stinker's command post was the counter in the bathroom where she directed makeup application and water breaks from the faucet.
All of us had a wonderful 14 years together. Stinker started slowing down several months before her passing and we knew we were coming to the end of a wonderful story. Several days before she passed she started having digestive upsets and was uncomfortable. The day before she passed she refused her favorite foods and was quite ill. A vet visit the subsequent day indicated a cancerous intestinal blockage. We could not have Stinker put to rest in a strange place. Her home was the only choice. Dr Forslund was exceptionally accommodating in seeing us on rather short notice later in the day Stinker was diagnosed, minimizing her discomfort. The process was handled exceptionally by Dr. Forslund, with care and tenderness, compassion, and a concern for Stinker's well being as well as ours. Stinker passed peacefully April 17, 2009, an honorable ending to a good life lived. Thank you Dr. Forslund for making possible our wishes for Stinker.
Steve & Nancy Coronado
Fullerton, CA