Roy - the best cat in the world

             Roy was the best cat that I have ever called my own.

            He was chosen from a litter of kittens on a farm at around 6 weeks old. My brother actually picked him out. He will tell you that after seeing all the kittens running in the barn and jumping in the straw he spotted one orange kitten that was sitting in the middle of the floor watching everything and not caring one bit. “That one!” my brother pointed.

             And so we took him home.

He didn’t have a name for a few days as I recall because I couldn’t think of the right name. I always came up with the best and most perfect names for most of our cats. One day I was watching my brother play the video game Super Smash Brothers and he was playing with a character with orange hair. I found out the character’s name was Roy and since our baby kitten was an orange tabby, we named him Roy.

He was such a small kitten that we had to bottle-feed him because he was not eating the kitten food. Looking back he was literally my baby. Over the years we have added our own endearments and would call him Mr. Roy and Roy Boy and Captain Fatso, even though he was never that fat.

And so we had him for a few years and he was the family cat that showed the other kittens how to play and climb trees. It wasn’t until after my first semester of college, when Roy was around 2, that I started a connection with him. Apparently when I was away he would only sleep in my room and meow and cry looking for me. Once I started moving into apartments Roy always came with me. That is when he became my cat.

And now after almost a decade with this precious cat he is no longer here. He passed suddenly and we don’t know why, but we are thankful for the blessing he was in our lives.

Roy was the best cat that I have ever owned. He was mine, my cat, and he knew me. People would associate me with Roy, often asking about him and how he was doing and if he was still fat. People would ask about Roy like he was a weird cousin. He was a member of the family. He was my baby. He was Mr. Roy, my beloved cat.

I will miss our morning routine together. I will miss him softly patter into the kitchen on his way to greet me while I made my tea. He would look at me with sleepy eyes and let out a big yawn, revealing all his teeth.

I will miss his distinctive meow when he said hi, or when he wanted something. I always knew exactly what he needed. I will miss having conversations with him he was so vocal. I will miss seeing his sweet face when I came home, he was always there to greet me.

I will miss how he was still so playful and how he would run in the yard. I will miss him sun bathing in the driveway. He really loved summertime. I will miss his purrs at night when he laid by my head. I will miss petting his soft fur and his skinny tail and his outie belly button. And I will always miss when he would sleep and snuggle with me at night.

He was the best cat in the world. He was a unique cat. We had a connection. He was a special cat, the kind that you cannot replace, the kind that you only have once in a lifetime. That kind of deep connection with an animal that transcends understanding.

There were times when I remember looking at Roy while he was curled up next to me on the couch thinking why this animal choose to love me so much; and me realizing how much I loved him, an animal. He acted differently with me than anyone else. He knew my voice and my side of the bed and my touch. My lap was the only one he would lay on because there is no other place he would rather be. He was my comfort during changing times.  He was the one thing that was consistent and constant. I could count on Roy to be with me when I needed him.

During the changes that come with growing up he was there learning with me, adapting and adjusting to a new life of living on my own and getting married and moving. He was there with me during those times to comfort me when I felt like life was too much. He was my constant. It didn’t matter to him. As long as I was with him he was at ease. We trusted each other. We could rely on each other. We were always there for each other when we needed one another. He was my baby, through everything in my adult life he has been there with me.

I am so thankful to God for giving me the gift of Roy and blessing me with him for almost 10 years. He was such a gift and a comfort to me. I knew that no matter what changes I was going through, the good and the bad and the hard, I always had Roy to hold and snuggle and know that he would love me no matter what.

My connection with him ran deep and I don’t think I could have that with any other animal. He was my best friend and companion through the most changing times in my life. I will miss him very much. He wasn’t just the family cat that chose to love me, he was the best cat and companion in the world and there is no cat like him.

I thank God for the time that I got to love him. He was an amazing creature. Thank you that I was able to hold him one last time and kiss him goodbye. Thank you that we were able to bury him in our backyard so we will never forget what an amazing cat you blessed us with.

  

Mr. Roy Pugh 6/5/06 – 2/4/16