AtoZ Challenge: T...

...is for Tom.

Tom may have some failings (though I can't think of any right now), but to me, he was the perfect cat.

When the vet announced over the phone, just after one of my electroshock sessions, that he had died whilst under observation at her surgery, I felt as though my heart had been ripped out and torn to shreds in front of me. I cried copiously, and am still prone to tears even now, despite the fact that he died on 3 March, which is over 7 weeks ago now.

Whilst tidying up at home, Y has come across numerous packets of photos of Tom, ranging from recent shots to pictures of him as the cutest kitten in the world, with his big, green eyes and rabbit-y ears. They break my heart because I still miss him soooo much.

We now have Zorro in our lives, but, cute as he is (and he is a very cute cat), he's no Tom. He won't come near us, so there's no stroking, no cuddling, no contact whatsoever. He's scared of everything, runs and hides behind the dishwasher at the slightest movement or noise and often doesn't reappear for hours.

Tom was a sociable, affectionate, sensitive and loving cat. I loved him possibly more than is reasonable for just a cat (how I hate that expression, he was way more than just a cat), but I can't help it. No other cat will ever mean as much to me as Tom does.

I will miss him forever.

This is one of the very last photos ever taken of him. He's at the vet's, and it's Saturday 1 March. He died 2 days later.