Every time a diary would be posted about a beloved pet passing away, I always had a sense of dread, knowing that the day would come when I would have to write fond words about Noble Fur. Sadly, the day came many years too soon.
Last Wednesday afternoon, Noble Fur was on her leash in the front yard while I worked indoors. The next time I checked on her, she was lifeless in the grass. Footage from a security camera revealed that she had been brutally killed by a large dog, which then pranced away nonchalantly after the deed was done.
Needless to say, I am completely devastated. Noble Fur had become a part of my identity at home, in my travels, and in the online world. Now I am suddenly adrift, and forced to deal with a new reality.
Before I continue with the diary, I have some requests. PLEASE READ THEM BEFORE COMMENTING. I want this to be a fitting tribute to a beautiful companion.
- Please refrain from posting virtual hugs, healing thoughts, candle GIFs, rainbow bridge images, emojis, stock photos, and the like. However well-intentioned they might be, I regard them as clutter, and they won’t bring me any comfort.
- Please, no mention of dogs, for obvious reasons. Make this a cat-only diary.
- What I do want to see is a collection of stories about your favorite cats, whether living or long gone. Pictures are fine. I will find strength and comfort in your stories.
- I probably won’t reply to any comments. It’s all I can do to simply write this diary.
Oregon, 2017
Two days passed before anyone from the Sheriff’s department or Animal Control even acknowledged the police report. By then the dog was apparently out of the area. An officer came out Friday afternoon and talked to a neighbor up the street. She claims that the dog belonged to a brother from Florida who had been visiting. Even worse, I was told that even if Animal Control had picked up the dog, the owner could have reclaimed it. The owner would only be in trouble if the dog injured a human being. So the prospect of seeing justice is somewhere between slim and none.
I try to avoid any what-ifs. It was random chance that Noble Fur was looking out the front window at that particular time, and I let her outside. But she was in her element in the yard, it was her territory, and she would have been miserable if I kept her locked in the house all the time. This was a Black Swan event that could not be foreseen.
With the grim details out of the way, let me share my thoughts about Noble Fur. For those of you unfamiliar with the Origin Story, she appeared in my yard in late 2015 while I was working in the Pacific Northwest. My neighbor’s son found her in a firewood pile in the driveway, softly mewing. Two different neighbors began taking care of the kitty. Neither of them were in a position to take in a cat long-term, so the kitty was quickly introduced to me the day after I returned home. Soon she was posing for pictures and following me around the house. There really wasn’t any learning curve. I bought a litter box and scratching post, and she immediately began using them like a good kitty should. She didn’t scratch the furniture, tear up the window shades, or otherwise engage in mischief. But she had a playful side, playing hide-and-seek, and chasing ropes that I’d pull across the floor.
I soon decided on a name for her, a play on words of one of my favorite tree species, the noble fir.
She was not a creature of habit. She didn’t have a favorite napping spot or sunning spot. She wanted access to every nook and cranny of the house, plus all of the outdoor space in the neighborhood. I soon learned that she did not mind traveling, a fact that served both of us very well.
The following summer, when it was time for me to take my working trip to the Northwest, I decided to bring her along rather than leaving her alone for 3 or 4 months. Following the advice of fellow Kossacks, I purchased a leash and harness. She didn’t complain at all when I leashed her up for the first time. And she hardly complained at the long trip from Georgia to Idaho. Every time we stopped for the night, she was ready to explore. If it was safe to walk outdoors, we’d go for a stroll. It took some time for me to learn that she disliked noisy rest areas, parking lots, open fields, and desert lands. She wanted trees around her. Trees are my business, so I was happy to oblige.
On a forest trail in Washington
In the span between 2016 and 2021, we made five trips across the country. Any time I’d have a bad day in the woods, I knew that she would cheer me up as soon as I got back to the place we were staying. She would greet me with much purring, and I’d give her treats and let her have some time outdoors.
Most of our feline friends have traits we find endearing. Here are some of the things Noble Fur did that made me smile.
- She was remarkably agile on stairways, and would always race past me while I was going upstairs or down. Sometimes she’d run up the bedroom stairs, turn around, and arch her back. It didn’t mean she was mad; it meant she wanted to play hide-and-seek. I couldn’t resist, of course.
- Sometimes when she was finished with her nighttime patrol of the house, and I was already in bed, I’d feel the soft thump as she jumped onto the bed. She would stand next to me and spend a minute or two kneading the blanket and purring. Then she would settle down next to me. She almost always positioned herself facing away from me, so that I could wrap one arm around her and scratch her neck. If I woke up later on and touched her while she slept, she would purr softly.
- We developed a simplified language, and she was very skilled at communicating her needs without creating a fuss. I often described it as “politely asking.” She was most emphatic in her asking if I was busy at the computer for too long and she wanted attention. I’d feel her pawing at the back of the chair, and I knew that it was time for a kitty break.
- What did people notice first about her? The incredibly soft fur. “She’s so soft!” was the first thing many folks said. And she loved having that coat brushed. She would flop onto one side, stretching her legs as far as they’d go. Then she would roll over to have her white belly groomed.
What comes next for me? That’s something I’ve got to work on. As you can imagine, every room of my house, and every place in the yard, reminds me of Noble Fur. As much as I like my house, I cannot stay here all the time. I need to find activities that take me away from the house. Bicycling, fishing, rafting trips, visiting friends and family, maybe some international travel. Noble Fur was a good traveler, but I avoided the types of vacations where she could not come along.
I am open to suggestions. Send me a kosmail if you want to share your thoughts with me. I cannot promise to answer every message right away, but I will read all of them.
I will close with the last close-up picture that I took, on November 24. I am fortunate to have hundreds of images of Noble Fur, which I will forever cherish.