It is with such sorrow and many tears we, as a family, said goodbye to our beloved Tuffy this past Friday. Without a doubt, he was the world’s greatest cat.
We adopted him from a high kill shelter in Dayton, Ohio in early 2005. He had been picked up as a stray and had been at the shelter for over six weeks. The vet “guesstimate” he was between 3 – 5 years old at the time. From the moment we met him, he claimed our family as his own. He was very social and more like a “watch dog” — greeting everyone personally who came to the door. He was a self-appointed “tucker-inner” for Andrew. Every night without fail, when Andrew would go to bed, Tuffy would jump up and lay on top of Andrew, purring loudly. He loved all over animals, loved to eat cheese (especially Parmesan) and tuna from a can. He was like a barometer. If someone was upset or angry or stressed, Tuffy would come and jump in their lap and purr until the person had calmed down. He was simply awesome.
Tuffy, Toby and Snickers.
He lived a long and wonderful life. He crossed the ocean and lived overseas twice. We estimate he took more than 20 airplane rides and he took them all in stride. He beat cancer (but lost his eye) and it was his old age and kidney failure at the end, not cancer. He lived up to his name and then some.
He will forever be in our hearts.
Rest in peace, tough guy.
This beautiful sketch was done by my dear friend, Sherri Ann Manios as a gift to our family. When she sent me this photo today, I cried many tears — some bittersweet, but mostly happy — to receive this incredible gift of kindness. Thank you, Sherri! This sketch will be framed and hung and cherished for many, many years to come!
So sad for your loss. What a “tuff” but sweet guy! They truly are members of the family.
Losing a beloved pet & member of our family is so very difficult. Remember all the treasured moments & smile because they were.
Know how you are feeling. Glad your family got so much time with him. Peace…..
So sorry for your loss. You had a long and wonderful life with Tuffy. I lost my Tiger, after 12 yrs. and I miss him a lot.
So sorry for the loss of your beloved cat/family member. I have lost 3 cats…also loves of my heart. May you feel comforted by the memories of your special times spent together…
Losing a pet is just awful. It’s family. So sorry for your loss. We lost our little Susie beagle after 14 years in 2014. She too was a great comfort to us in many of our crisis. I cried a river that day, and still cry when I think about her. We miss her so much.
I am so sorry for your loss
It is the saddest thing that we outlive so many of our beloved pets. One of the most missed is Smoky (gone these 30 years–a victim of feline leukima); he would lay under the covers and let my son read to him so alot like your cat.
I truly believe your beloved guy and all other pets are in some sort of pet heaven.
So very sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved cat Tuffy. I too have loved and lost several cats over the years and can attest to your sadness. They occupy a special place in our hearts forever, not forgotten but remembered for all time.
So sorry . Our pets are our hairy kids. We love them for the company, comfort and love they give us.