Cricket (Patreon)

     This beautiful furry guy is Cricket. Years ago, he was a ragged, bone-thin ball of filthy fur who came around meekly seeking food and water. I fed him for quite awhile, and very gradually worked up a rapport with him. One night, very late, I was finishing up feeding him when I just happened to see him at an unusual angle (remember, he's black, it was dark out, and our porch light doesn't work) and caught a glimpse of something horrible: a large hole in his face, with dead skin, flesh and matted hair hanging from it. I woke up my my wife and we rushed him to the vet, where we discovered that he'd had an abscess that burst, and the flesh around the wound was necrotic and giving him blood poisoning. He was in terrible shape overall, and the emergency vet recommend we put him down. You can guess our reaction to that. We had them operate on his wound as well as neutering him, and brought him home the next day. I spent the next two weeks sleeping on the floor with him in our never-going-to-be-a-studio spare room, to gain his trust, build a bond with him and keep his stitches clean. The first time I laid down, he came over and curled up against me. I fell in love with him almost immediately.  

     He was sweet and loving, and despite having almost no teeth and a cataract and having lived through hell on the streets, he was happy and full of life.

     A few weeks ago he began losing weight and seemed subdued and withdrawn. Today (Monday) I woke to find that his symptoms had worsened dramatically overnight. We took him in, and he was diagnosed with cancer. We said goodbye to him just before midnight.

     We never knew his age, but laying there on the floor of the spare room holding this scared, helpless, damaged creature, I had promised him that if he was strong and fought to survive, I would take care of and fight for him for as many years as he had left. And I did. I only wish it could have been for a lot longer.

     I'll miss you forever, Cricket.