Our longtime, best friend, confidant and comforter Tiger died very suddenly on April 8, 2018. It was a terrible day that we'll never forget. I SO wish that Robby had not been home alone when Tiger passed so very suddenly mid-afternoon. The only solace we have is that Tiger had Robby with him all day, since Rob didn't feel well in the morning and had stayed home from school. Our boy was comfortable and felt loved up to his last moments with us. Alex had been working at Gerrity's but came home soon after. We often look at his favorite spot on the couch cushion, think of him climbing up on Everyone's lap as soon as they sat down. He absolutely adored petting from Steve, especially in his favorite position lying across his chest. As I wrote to my friend Cindi a few weeks after he passed, I think we will always miss Tiger.
Tiger lived to be 13 1/2 years old. We wish he could have been with us much longer, but realize particularly after he passed that he had been sick toward the end.
So, here is a the story of getting Tiger when you boys were quite young. Our kitty Kyle (named by Alex) had sadly passed away. Aunt Pam had recently gotten Wolfie from a breeder near Selinsgrove, and told us that there were both Siamese and Maine Coon kittens there. Alex, in second grade, had made up his mind that he wanted an orange cat that looked like a tiger..... so after a couple months, we took a drive down to the breeder's house. It smelled Terribly of cat urine, as she had numerous kitties from the basement up (in cages and wandering about). Dad stayed in the living room with 2 year-old Robby while Alex and Mom went upstairs to see kittens ready for adoption. There were kitties all around, but Alex went straight for a large cage with 3 orange Maine Coon kittens and immediately fell in love with the most active one (jumping all over the place). The breeder noticed that Alex was smitten and offered somewhat of a discount on her price, so after some attempts to persuade Alex to pick a Siamese we gave up and settled on Tiger. On the way home in the kitty carrier Mom was holding, he howled for 15 minutes or so until Dad said, "well, you'd better try petting him". Petting and soothing comments did quiet him down. The first night at home he stayed in your room, and after throwing up just once was fine-and-dandy.
As a kitten, he had a knack for getting into trouble because he climbed on everything - including upper bunks, bureaus and piles of train boxes downstairs :-( He started climbing up the curtains after he was full-grown, which as far as Mom was concerned was The End.... so he had his front claws removed. Tiger was mostly an inside cat, except for a few escapes like when he fell off the porch railing and at least twice climbed down the walnut tree into the garden. Uncle George and Aunt Rebecca's cat Meow would come up the tree sometimes to "visit" through the sliding glass door to the porch. Seems like Meow came by mostly out of boredom (no particular friendliness in mind), as she thoroughly enjoyed tormenting Tiger who batted and hissed at her through the glass.... she would do the same thing by climbing up the dogwood tree by Aunt Pam's porch, walking up and over the low roof to "visit" Wolfie outside her kitchen window.
Tiger came to live at Sharpe Street in January 2012. It was a real homecoming for Mom to have our boy back; there had been a picture of him keeping her company for the past 3 years. Steve laughed at Tiger's fluff swaying as he walked across the dining room floor. Tiger loved to sleep at the bottom of Robby's bed, where he could look out at the hallway & down the stairs. Every few months he had a bath at Grooming Cottage, and shaved down in the early summers (when his tail looked like a truffula tree). He met Jean Luc on his first morning at Montgomery Ave when Tiger "sang the song of his people" in the hallway until he was allowed to come in the bedroom. Jean Luc watched from the foot of the bed with great interest; Tiger would sometimes hiss/spit, other times instigate spats or low-speed chases, still other times enjoy grooming with our calm, agreeable gray tabbycat. Later on when Rambo was rescued and came to us, Tiger had a somewhat testy relationship with Rambo. We had 3 cats !!
Here is a text from I got from Aunt Pam the day of our sad loss.
"Hi Chris, I'm so sorry about tiger! My heart aches for Robby and Alex. He was so much more than a pet. He was a wonderful companion, and a link to their happier childhood times. You and Steve must be horribly upset as well. The only consolation we can take is that it was quick for him. I feel Awful that Robby was alone with him when it happened. Robby has witnessed too much. 😢
Tiger was larger than life 😊 so much personality."
Tiger
was larger than life. I know he is still with us in spirit and believe that we'll all be together again some day. In the meantime, he is probably sitting on Grandma's lap getting petted.... and alternately sitting between Grandma and Grandpa so he gets double petting.
