So Long, Rufus

We said goodbye to Rufus three weeks ago. Rufus was our perfect cat and was with us for 16+ years. Over the last few months his kidney functioning declined. He became weaker and was less and less able to care for himself. When it reached the point where he was moving about very little, and hardly eating or responding, we could no longer believe that he was enjoying life. It was time to let him go.

Rufus was the first and oldest of our three cats. He was over two years old when we got him. The others arrived as kittens, one at a time over the following months. And one of our first surprises was that Rufus not only adjusted to each of them pretty quickly, but he took to pinning them down and grooming them, whether they wanted it or not. But he was a very gentle and tolerant head of household. Mawa, our second, was testy and demanding. Twitchy, the baby, extremely skittish and wary. But Rufus was always friendly, even-tempered and curious. While Mawa and Twitchy lived in a state or perpetual warfare, Rufus rose above it all, only rarely expressing his annoyance at their shenanigans and staying on good terms with both.

Rufus was in fact the most unflappable cat we’ve ever known, the quintessential cool cat indeed. Nothing much bothered him, and he was always confident, secure and comfortable in his own skin.

We got him from a Pet Value store, where Ponczka found him, full grown, caged and awaiting adoption. She’d always wanted a “big, Orange Cat. Rufus wasn’t very big, but he otherwise fit the bill. His unusual degree of imperturbableness was displayed during that first ride home. I started up the car. He sniffed around a bit, then climbed to where he could peer out the window. And after awhile, he curled up in a seat and had himself a nap.

Rufus was like that about everything. The vet? No problem. Racoons in the back yard? He ignored them, and they returned the favor. Strangers crowding into the house, making noise and spilling drinks? Just a few extra laps to curl up in. He always looked up at us like he knew us through and through and he had not a single doubt that we were thrilled to hang out with him. Our laps and necks, and backs when we were in bed, were his always available lounging spaces, as were our work surfaces and the keyboards of our computers. He was King of a small kingdom and all was right in his world.

We got Rufus in our second year as a couple, and shortly after Ponczka lost Maggie, her dog of fourteen years. She imagined that it would be easy to maintain some emotional detachment from a cat. I’d had a few cats, so knew better. Every cat – like every human being – is a unique creation, with personality and character. Rufus was so easy to love because he himself seemed to have no barriers against us. Never any wariness or fear. He moved through the world with untroubled curiosity. We always had the feeling that Rufus knew us, our ways and our needs. He seemed to love us as much as we loved him. He was a great companion.

There’s not much else to say, except that we’ll miss Rufus and will always remember him.