RIP Oliver

We'll miss you.

Oliver was a "feral" kitten living, although just barely, in our Mom's feral cat colony last year. We (my sister & I) were visiting our parents for Thanksgiving of 2006. Our father had just been diagnosed with terminal esophageal cancer and it was far from an ideal hoilday. We went out to the barn with our mom to watch her feed the ferals and a scrawny, half starved, grey and white kitten came right up to greet us. He was covered in ringworm (or should I say, he was nearly bald), in the near freezing weather it was clear he was suffering from the cold. He had a URI, was just skin and bones but he happily let us pick him up and he purred instantly. We immediately named him Oliver, as he was clearly an orphan in need of a healthy bowl of supper and some loving care.

We took him home and told him he could stay with us until he was healthy enough to adopt out. We tried him on more than 12 antibiotics over the course of the past year with no luck in clearing up his URI. We had his sinuses flushed and tried all manner of homeopathic care we could find to treat him. Sadly, he never got healthy, but he did win our hearts. Oliver was a one of a kind kitty who loved to jump amazing distances. He grew tall and lanky, and we called him the "Vertical one" or Oli-Vert which eventually became Vert. He also went by "Snot face" or Vader for his raspy breathing. He loved to perch on the coffee maker (sometimes turning it on) with his shoulder blades sticking up like folded wings, which earned him the nickname "Coffee Gargoyle". He was a happy boy in spite of his chronic URI and we had hope that he would live many long years and perhaps one day grow out of it.

Sadly on Thanksgiving day it became clear that his URI had finally moved to his lungs. He passed from this world while held in my arms during our drive to our Mother's house for the holiday. He is greatly missed in our home.

RIP sweet Vert. We will love you always.