Whistle, a ginger cat, died today at home. He was born the day before Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast. His mother went into premature labor and delivered her kittens in an abandoned house in the northern part of Hancock County. Whistle and his litter mate, Fish, were rescued and weaned by a kind woman. In October of 2005, Whistle and Fish went to live with a family who needed them. There, the kittens grew up with a rescue dog, Sister. Later, they were joined by Dubby, a homeless kitten.
Whistle was known for his good humor and loud purring. He was a content cat. He made his dog, Sister, his nanny and loved her. He welcomed Dubby by grooming the kitten and taking long naps curled up with him. He kept a close eye on his brother Fish and they were not separated for even a day until Fish went into the Louisiana Veterinary Hospital for a leg operation. When Fish returned, Whistle groomed all of the hospital smell and homesickness off.
Whistle loved his birthday. For his first five years, he announced his August birthday as early as December to remind his friends and blog readers of the celebration. He received gifts from all over the country.
He enjoyed eating cat cookies. He preferred Greenies Cat Treats until he discovered health food cat cookies. He believed the health food cat cookies meant he could eat several human hand fulls each day. He learned to eat from his human's hand as a kitten then began to stand on his hind legs to grab a cat cookie.
Of the memories Whistle leaves to those who loved him, we recall how when picked up, Whistle leaned against us and purred. He was a big cat of 14 lbs. and his body warmth and attention healed.
His story is told on this blog. His subscriptions to The New Yorker and Ophrah Magazines will be cancelled. His red collar will be placed in a shadow box. His memory is precious to his brothers, his dog and his people.
Whistle is survived by his littermate, Fish, his brother Dubby and his dog Annie, and his humans.
He will be buried on August 22, 2011 near his uncle, the Great Cat Rusty in the kitchen yard close to the birdfeeder.
We thank God for every memory of Whistle the Cat.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
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