Thursday, June 30, 2011

Our Prince


We lost our Malden today, our Maldini. There he sleeps in all his shaggy splendor on the summer bed, apart from the pack as always. His fat tail, his ridiculous pantaloons, his strange two-tone coat. What I thought might be a tooth going bad turned out to be oral cancer. I left the festival grounds to take him home to our vet never dreaming I would return without him. He was our Italianate Renaissance man, the smartest cat we've ever known, fluent in English and opera.

Shock and grief, sudden as a bandage torn away.
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15 comments:

  1. WolfieJune 30, 2011 at 8:12 PM

    Gosh, Muddy K. I am so so sorry. Sending you a hug....

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  2. AnonymousJune 30, 2011 at 8:17 PM

    I am very sad for your loss - he seems to have been a very fine and distinguished feline.

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  3. DaisyJune 30, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    Oh my goodness! My heart breaks with you!! I'm so sorry!!

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  4. Brooke (FBX Adventures - In Parenting) June 30, 2011 at 11:46 PM

    Oh, my heart breaks for you. I am so, so sorry. Cats are amazing creatures. Much love and hugs. I will be thinking of you!

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  5. AnonymousJune 30, 2011 at 11:57 PM

    I'm so sorry:(

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  6. BarbaraJuly 1, 2011 at 7:37 AM

    I am so sorry you lost your guy. I have had that happen too, take one to the vet for a little problem and go home alone, it is such a shock.

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  7. JudiJuly 1, 2011 at 7:47 AM

    I am so sorry...

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  8. smazourekJuly 1, 2011 at 10:33 AM

    I'm so sorry for your loss. Consider this a virtual hug ( ).

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  9. JuneJuly 1, 2011 at 12:32 PM

    Oh so sad. And in the middle of your busiest time, too.

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  10. Once Upon an EquineJuly 1, 2011 at 3:10 PM

    I'm very sorry.

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  11. twohorsesJuly 1, 2011 at 6:13 PM

    Thinking of you,(()) hugs!

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  12. Calm, Forward, StraightJuly 2, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    So sorry to hear that news. (((hugs)))

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  13. Muddy KJuly 4, 2011 at 1:58 PM

    Wanted to just say a quick thank you to all of you for your kind thoughts. There isn't time to even believe we've lost Maldini yet. Perhaps that's better, in a way. We got him all those years ago from a pair of hoarders posing as a "no kill" cat shelter. He was terribly sick when we took him, though we didn't know it. It took him six months to recover from a terrible bacterial infection, and then we had a dozen years of joie de vivre and impossibly quick intelligence that gave us no end of delight. If I weren't so greedy, it would have been enough.

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  14. Kristen Eleni ShellenbargerJuly 4, 2011 at 3:20 PM

    I'm so sorry for your loss of your beautiful boy. It's never easy loosing a loved animal. Hugs

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  15. AnonymousJuly 6, 2011 at 2:35 AM

    hi muddy,
    fist time i have read your lovely blog,
    my heart goes out to you.
    cats are incredible!
    so beautiful!
    horses too.
    life is so tough sometimes.
    Tiffany

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