R.I.P. Geddy Bear

This is a one-off post to indulge myself in some sad, sad memories of my long-time companion Geddy (A.K.A. The Bear)


I rescued Geddy as an 8 week old kitten from the R.S.P.C.A. in 1994 and he understood me in more ways than I imagined. On a couple of occasions in really low times of my life, and I was crying and crying with despair, he would come up and miaow loudly and offer himself for a cuddle and purr to comfort me.


He knew right from wrong, he could open doors (but never shut them behind him lol) and understood my commands of 'come' and 'go away' and 'good boy' and 'bad cat' (usually when he was ripping upholstery to shreds to get attention) He knew the sound of the fridge opening, the smell of a tin of tuna being opened, and could predict the minute when I was coming home.


Geddy loved boxes, feathers, string, he loved being picked up upside down and LOVED being groomed as a long haired domestic he would get groomed very regularly. He likes to sleep at the end of my bed every night, he would talk to me in demanding meows when hungry, when he bought in mice or moths his miaow was different. He liked to eat grated cheese, beaten egg and cheese quavers (?) and loved games of toes-under-duvets and fingers-through-banisters.


Happy with being picked up, and flicking his tail on your arm whilst you lay in bed, he only bit me once in sheer terror when moving house, as soon as he saw he had bit me, his eyes grew big, and he submitted, curling in a ball. I scooped him up, hand bleeding, reassured him, and loved him.


Geddy was also the perfect weather indicator, when it was raining, he would come in and miaow loudly, and deliberately jump on me with wet paws and wet fur. Why me? Always me. Only me. Yes, thank you, I know it is raining now, wet cat. When it was hot and the front door is wedged open he was Guard Bear. If he was in an unusual place he was There Bear. If he was on the duvet, and it needed to be pulled up, he was a Travelling Bear. If he went backwards he was a Reverse Bear.


The Bear. I loved him so much.


Sadly, he developed cheek cancer, which was very aggressive, and the tumour was the size of a bottle top, as his long fur hid it for months, then he started to dribble and not eat food. I thought it would have certainly spread to the brain. He spent so much time sleeping and not knowing what to do. Playtime halted. 

It must have been so painful, but he never miaowed. The time came when he wouldn't eat tinned tuna or fresh chicken breast. What cat would refuse that? Losing weight rapidly, I called the v-e-t and instead of distressing him with travelling, the lady v-e-t came to my house and set him free from pain.


It was the most dignified of exits and he was a Very Good Boy.


I just wanted a web page where I could view the photos I took and this is it. No more Geddy webpages but I hope there is internet access is Cat Heaven. R.I.P. Geddy 2008