Roguish Malkins: My Friend Charlie

On April 5, 2020, we had to put Charlie down. He was around a year old. Charlie was a goof and always loved to play. He also loved to get into stuff which was his demise. Charlie found a card with shiny ribbon and buttons on it, and unbeknowst to us, ate them. During the day on Sunday, April 5, he started vomiting. We thought maybe he ate something that didn't settle right, but that wasn't the case. By 9 p.m. that night, he had not quit throwing up, he wasn't drinking and he never used the catbox. We took him to an emergency vet clinic in Renton.

After an examination and x-rays, we were given the horrible news. He'd eaten the items mentioned above and they were in his intestines. They were bunching up and would not pass through, but rather they'd cause more and more problems, possibly even perforating his intestines. The only option was surgery, but due to the complexity of it, it would cost $7000 to $10,000. There was no way we could ever afford that. Plus, because of the surgery and possible damage already done, he might end up with more medical issues throughout his life. So, we made the heartwrenching decision to mercifully have him put down.

I've had cats over the years, but for some reason, Charlie had picked me as his bud, although in the beginning he was skittish and wasn't that much of a bud to me. However, he became such. I'd come home from work and he'd be on the cat tree rolling upside-down excited to see me. He talked with me all the time and especially at night when he wanted to play with his springs. He was a big cat, so when he raced through the house with Chester and Cinder, it was thunderous. He jumped higher than any other cat I've known, at least 5' or more. And when he got goofy, he'd do these weird flips and rolls along the wall and made goofy, playful sounds to get attention. He and Chester loved playing in their tube. He would grab the ball attached to the end of the tube and race down the hallway dragging it behind him. And he was strong. You could literally play tug-o-war with him and he would not give in. He was tenacious. I miss him alot.

Chester was his pal. Since Charlie's death, Chester has become more clingy and sometimes depressed. He misses Charlie too. He's getting better, but you can tell he knows something is amiss. I don't know if cats can remember, but I think he knows Charlie is gone.

It was a sad, sad day, but we have a year's worth of memories regarding Charlie. And we have pictures. Still, filling Charlie's paws will be impossible.