Tiger

Two weeks and one day ago, we had to say goodbye to Tiger. I miss her every day and still cannot believe that she is gone. I have spent a lot of time writing down all the things about her that made her her, and that has helped a little. I have hundreds of photos of her and Lily and Cassie, which is also a big comfort. She was a beautiful soul, who loved us every day, so thank you Tiger. I love you and will never forget you. 

Below are a few photos, and you can see how much she liked the company of her sister and Cassie too. She loved to lounge, and another warm body never did any harm. 

Tiger and Lily came to us about fourteen years ago, just after our cat Boris, who we had for fourteen years, had died. We had planned to get another cat, but were too sad about Boris to think about it for a while. One morning I was walking to school. I came around the corner to find five year six children lying or crouching on the ground next to the derelict old people's home next door. They had been feeding two cats for about a week. They had tried to find out who they belonged to but with no luck. A few days later, two of the teachers, Miss A. and Mr B. climbed over the fence, managed to get the cats, and brought them into the staff room. Lily hid under a chair, while Tiger walked around, making friends with everyone and eating tuna. Mrs H. arranged for them to go to a vets. Nobody in the school wanted two stray cats, and of course, I did. So, after their check up, the two teachers who had rescued them, collected them, and brought them to our flat. Lily continued to hide for another week, and Tiger settled right in. They came to us just when we needed them, and we couldn't have chosen two sweeter cats.

 Cassie joined us a few years ago, not a stray, but an unwanted kitten. At first Tiger was appalled. She was a jealous girl. I sometimes called her Tigey Toos as, whatever anyone else had, she wanted. She would rush over to be first for cuddles, treats or food. Anyway, Cassie was accepted so then we had three.

Tiger loved fish and chips fish, bed time and bath time cuddles, (in fact any time cuddles) waking me up by licking my ear, and she was scared of the blower in the bathroom-always eyeing it suspiciously. When we first had her, she would retrieve her favourite green mouse from the bottom of the stairs. She got lots of praise and fuss for doing that, and, after a while, she would leave the mouse, and just come back for the cuddles! Lily is a more timid cat when it comes to humans, but she was always at the forefront of any garden defending that needed to be done, with Tiger bringing up the rear.

 After we moved to this flat, she would sometimes cry at night like she was lost. We would hear her padding around and into the bedroom, and she would then drop a green mouse (her favourite ones were all green) onto the floor and go to bed.

 When I was stroking her on the bed, she would grab my hand if I went to leave, so that I would stroke her some more. She was always a very good girl at the vets, though she was impossible to get a pill down. Once, a while ago, we were waiting for the vet to get something, so he left us in the surgery. She suddenly moved fast, whipped her paw under the weighing machine and gobbled up a forgotten treat.

 If you told Tiger 'no', such as when she was about to walk across the computer keyboard, or onto your lap when you were eating, she would listen and stop. Then, about two seconds later, she would do a slow walk, repeating her actions of a few moments before, and thus getting what she wanted. It was as if she thought that if she went really slowly then you wouldn't notice her. I have read that cats do that slow walk past other cats to avoid conflict, but Tiger adapted it in her own way.

This is her looking at me at night. She came for a cuddle every night without fail, stayed till I put the light out, then went off to bed. I will always miss that cuddle Tiger, and I loved every one. xxxx