Early on this beautiful Saturday afternoon, Fiona Fred drifted off to sleep at Smith Animal Hospital in Perry, Georgia, ending a brief, and very brave battle with an unspecified cancer. He was a trooper until the very end, and fought very hard.
Fiona was an amazing cat. He chose his friends wisely, and, once you were chosen, he loved you unconditionally. He was absolutely the most contented cat I’ve ever known. Even though he quickly outgrew our tiny space, he loved his home.
He was a caretaker. If I had bad dreams, he would somehow know and would pat me on the shoulder until I would wake up. If he sensed I was lonely, he would sit close beside me. He loved me and cared for me like it was his job.
From the day he walked into my home, Fiona’s motor ran almost constantly. Only when he was in the deepest of sleep would the purrs stop. For nearly ten years, that purr has been the rhythm of my home.
Fiona enjoyed perching on the back of the sofa to look through the window. His beautiful tail would swish enthusiastically when squirrels made an appearance in the yard. In recent days, he enjoyed sitting by the storm door, playing with the outside cats through the glass. He loved playing with his tennis ball, but only in secret, when he thought I was asleep.
Sometimes he scratched me. Sometimes he bit. Not out of meanness, but out of fear or discomfort of some sort. That tail would thump when he had something to say, and over the years I learned to interpret his “tail talk.”
Every single day, my Fiona made me laugh. He made me smile. His funny voice, his stubborn and bossy ways- I will miss all of those things. Mostly I will miss the sweetness of his snuggles, and the eager way he greeted me when I came through the door. No one has ever made me feel as loved as my Fiona Fred always did.
Today I am grieving for my friend, but I have to say that I am truly grateful for every day I have had with him in my life. This beautiful boy was a gift from God, only for a season, but a blessing to my heart everyday. He lived a good life, he was a faithful friend, and I will love him and miss him always.
This Road Home 