Captain Orange

This evening we said our final good byes to Jackson, AKA Dr. Roar, Tiger, Captain Orange, Mr. Sunshine. I first encountered him when I visited a cat shelter during the spring of my sophomeore year of college. A sorority sister was picking out a cat for her boyfriend and I went along for the ride; a set of orange paws reached through the bars and hugged my leg while simultaneously roaring a big cat meow. I was instantly hooked and filled out the required paper work to remove him from the shelter. Good thing for him since he was scheduled for the Big Injection just a few days later.
My father came to pick me up and drive the 15 hour trip home with me just a few weeks later. When I informed him that we would have an extra passenger, he rolled his eyes, sighed and resigned himself for a hellsih ride. He needn’t have worried because the cat then curled up under the driver’s side seat for the duration of the ride. He emerged at the end of the ride, roared and then went into the house to make himself at home.
Jackson was an amazing cat in so many ways. Not only was he an obese, clueless orange tabby who somehow managed to survive for over 17 years in a mountain environment infested with coyotes and large birds, but he was sweet and affectionate to the very end. This morning he ate his canned food the same as always. He purred in his senile bliss as he asked to be lifted up to the counter top. But sometime during Loren’s afternoon soccer game he crawled up into my father’s place on the bed and passed away in his sleep. He and my father were great friends. When my dad went out of town Jackson would speak to him upon his return about his absence. When my father was home Jackson would request to be lifted up to bathroom counter every morning so that he could have a cat kibble snack. My father would comply and chat with him while he shaved and readied himself for the day.
Compared to losing my father, the loss of Tiger is a small one. But it is a loss none the less. And lately I sometimes feel that if I lose anything more I will start to lose myself. It is no surprise that Jackson’s body finally gave out today. He had an amazing run, especially if you factor in the concept that he was signed up for The End nearly 16 years ago. We burried him under one of the fruit trees in my parent’s front yard area. My mother and I dug the grave and then wrapped him in one of my father’s shirts before we put him in the hole. We then sprinkled in small trinkets while we said good bye to our friend.