It’s never easy to say goodbye, however instead of mourning his loss we prefer to celebrate and remember him as the cat who brought us so much happiness and with whom we shared so much.  Inquisitive by nature, and one of the most vocal cats I have ever known, Ebony simply had his own way of doing just about everything.  Ground rules were seen as more of an advisory and were to be especially ignored if they were coming between:

a) Ebony and wet cat food.

b) Ebony and snuggling with Meaghan.

His passions were few and simple.  He loved his wet cat food and eating in general was one of his favorite pastimes.  He loved to snuggle and be petted, and he loved drinking fresh water especially if it was from a cupped pair of hands in the sink.  Running water at just the right temperature was one of his favorite treats.  He had an incredible personality, one that I am so glad to have known, and was a friend that will be sorely missed.

Farewell Ebony.  We love you.

More pictures here: http://gallery.stuartthompson.net/gallery/7075080_LxYGD

After returning home I let our kitties outside for a little while to enjoy the sun. I took my camera out with me and captured a few shots of the glorious weather while they enjoyed the sights and smells of the day.

I guess that’s true.  When I first saw the movie The 6th Day I remember leaving the theater in horror as the realization that one day the premise of the fictitious company RePet would come true.  The premise in the movie was that if your childhood pet was nearing the end of his or her life, your parents could take them into RePet where geneticists would create a young and healthy clone of the dying animal.  It seemed pretty sick and disturbing to me back then, and pretty much nothing has changed since.

Today as I was reading, I came across articles from a couple of commercial companies that are offering exactly that service.  Back in 2004, a company called Genetic Savings and Clone accepted $50,000 each from four clients who wanted to have their cats cloned.  Back then they were predicting that they would be able to clone a dog before the end of the year.  It actually took another company until this year to accomplish that feat when they created Snuppy, the world’s first successfully cloned dog.  Now RNL Bio are offering a commercial pet cloning service for $175,000.  The money is payable upon receipt of the cloned pet.

While I understand the first instinct that might make such a service appealing to people, that knee-jerk emotional reaction experienced when considering that your beloved pet may die, I do not understand those who would wish to engage an actual service to clone that same pet.  I have had pets my whole life and wholeheartedly understand the sense of loss and accompanying pain when little Fluffy leaves this world.  Meaghan and I have a 16 year-old cat who we both accept cannot live forever.  We had to put his life-long companion down earlier last year and it was as painful to let go of Peaches as with any other companion and friend I’ve lost.  However, it is also a crucial part of the love and bond that we have with the pets that are still with us.  We know that Ebony is getting old and even that Dougal and Lucy will not live for as long as we do.  That lack of permanence is what makes you appreciate the time you do enjoy with your pets, indeed with any living being.  If that were taken away, if the pet could be reborn or cloned at any time, would that not drastically affect the relationship that we have with our furry companions?  When they got sick and needed to be taken to the vet, would you not be weighing up whether the cost of the treatment to keep them alive for a few more years would be worth it as compared to the cost of just starting them over again as a kitten?  Furthermore, would a clone of your pet not take away from the moments and memories you have with the real thing?

I would feel like I was cheating on our kitties with the worst of doppelgangers.  I can’t imagine anything more depersonalizing than a clone of you running around, eating your food, and making new memories with your beloved owner and friend; memories that should have been reserved for that original life, that original pet.  I’m sure that for some the prospect of permanence and the reassurance that they will never be parted from their companion is a blessing.  I’m sure that in their hearts they feel that they are doing the right thing and avoiding the heartache of loss that none of us wishes to feel.  However, I think in doing that we would dilute the very emotional connection that makes us love our pets and treat them like family.  After all, their DNA is on record at “Pop It and Swap It” down the road, so if we take a little less care and lose poor old Fluffy early then there isn’t really anything to worry about, right?

Indeed you can’t stop progress.  This is something that will happen and, like anything, will become more commonplace as the cost of the procedure decreases and subsequently the availability to a wider market increases.  The only question I pose is whether we will stop when it comes to replacing a lost partner.  I’m sure that many feel love was stolen from them through tragedies and that many would love nothing more than the chance to bring that lost love back to life.  When science reaches the heights of human cloning, and it will, there will be some questions to ask that touch on the most fundamental tenets of our existence.

Meaghan and I decided to see how he did overnight, thinking perhaps it might have been something he had eaten that he wasn’t supposed to.  Dougal does like to chew on anything he can find, so it isn’t implausible.  He spent the whole night sleeping right next to me, insisting on snuggling as close as he can and then threw up again this morning in the bathroom.  My baby boy is not well.  Meaghan kindly made an appointment to take Dougal to the vet this evening to find out what’s going on.  He’s a really strong and healthy cat so I’m fairly sure it’s just a stomach bug or something that he ate, but we want to be sure and make certain that he’s going to be alright.

I’ll post an update when we know more.

Unfortunately last year we lost Peaches to old age.  However, shortly afterwards we adopted both Dougal and Lucy, partially to keep Ebony company and partially because we love having kitties.  As our family expanded, so too did the wear and tear on the little scratching post we had bought.  A full year and a half after we first brought it home I found myself looking at it one morning and seeing something that had been well loved and very well used.  The sisal pole had a texture akin to silk, having been ripped and shredded by endless claws.  This in itself could easily have been replaced, however upon further inspection I also found that the carpet had been torn open down to the base frame of the unit in more than one location.  The little raised area upon which a kittie might sit had been cleaved and cut to the point that it was no longer a suitable surface upon which to even rest a hand, let alone expect a cat to sit.  It was simply time to declare “out with the old and in with the new.”  Furthermore, Dougal had recently taken to scratching carpets and furniture, something he had never previously done.  It was this behavior that first gave me cause to evaluate the state of the existing scratching post.

Fortunately, at about the same time this was happening I had received a rebate check from Progressive due to an overpayment in my auto-insurance.  The value of the check was pretty close to the cost of a new scratching post and as such Meaghan and I embarked upon a quest to find something more suitable for our newer, younger, material-rending feline friends.  On Thursday of last week, Meaghan had cause to pass the PetSmart in Wilsonville and had found a couple of good candidates that were well priced.  After I returned home from work we headed down there to review our options and see if we could find something that we both liked and could afford.  While not the unit that had original caught Meaghan’s attention, we came away with what I can only describe as the feline equivalent of a Playstation (indeed playstation appears to be the industry standard term) for only a few dollars over our original budget.  It has two thick sisal-wound pillars that support a pair of balconies on which the cats may sit or sleep.  Additionally, there is a tunnel suspended about 8 inches from the base through which the cats might chase each other or hide in when they desire a little more isolation or novelty.  Standing at around six feet tall and covered in thick, coarse carpetting, we left feeling confident that we had found a gift that Ebony, Dougal, and Lucy could really enjoy.

Within minutes of hauling one old and busted arrangement of carpet and wood down the stairs and hauling a second new-hotness arrangement of wood and carpet up the stairs, there were two cats eagerly sniffing and poking around what was to become their new favorite place to be.  Every night since we installed their new playstation, neither Dougal nor Lucy has paid much attention to anything but their new bed/toy/wubby.  Dougal sleeps in the upper balcony, while Lucy wiles away her time on the lower balcony.  Both are content to simply sit, roll, sleep, and scratch to their hearts’ content, leaving the area only for the shortest times necessary for other feline functions.

I managed to take some pictures of them playing together on their new favorite furniture with their new favorite toy (a long plastic feather duster).  Meaghan must have played with them for over three hours all told since Friday and still the game of bat-at-the-feathers-without-leaving-the-playstation has lost none of its luster.  I’m really happy both that they enjoy their new area and that they are no longer scratching at either carpet or sofa.  It will be interesting to see how long this new scratching station lasts, but given the amount of fun our cats are already having it, as long as it survives at least the eighteen months seen by its predecessor then I really can’t complain.  Feathers, sisal, and a high place to sit = pure kitty heaven!

It’s nice to see them all getting along so great and lots of fun to have a new kitten around.  I’ve never had a kitten before, despite having looked after five different cats now.  I’ve always had older cats because they have less chance of finding a home from the shelters than the kittens, but it really is a lot of fun to have a little squeaker running around.  Lucy is growing fast, a lot faster than I thought she would, and its really nice to see that her older brother Dougal (only by a year or so) is there to show her the ropes and keep her company.

As we did with Dougal, we have isolated Lucy in the “war room” upstairs.  This is a second bedroom with its own walk-in closet and bathroom that can be isolated from the rest of the house.  Keeping Lucy in here means that she can adjust to the new environment without being overwhelmed by the other kitties.  They can smell each other under the door and hear each other walking around.  As an aside, it’s called the “war room” because it’s a fully decked out gaming room in which Meaghan and I can play World of Warcraft together; complete with fridge, microwave, beer supply, and map of Azeroth.  While Lucy was playing, Dougal came and stuck his paw underneath the door.  He’s desperate to get in and say hello.

I’m sure I’ll be posting more pictures soon, but for now it’s time to get her all set up with a litter box, water supply, some food, and a place to sleep.  I’ll admit that there might be a *small* amount of absolutely having to play with her just for Lucy’s sake too. :)

After looking at several kitties on the Humane Society’s website, we decided to go in and get a feel for some of the kitties in person. One two-year old cat in particular completely stole our hearts. His name at the Humane Society was Junior, and he immediately won us over with his gentle demeanor, curious nature, and affectionate kisses. We decided that we had to take him home.

Having never adopted an animal personally from the Humane Society before, neither Stu nor I were really sure how the process worked, but it went smoothly, and about an hour later, we carried “Junior” out the door with us. Now, neither one of us particularly liked the name “Junior”, so we decided on the car ride home to name our new friend Dougal. One of the features we like best about Dougal are his pronounced “eyebrows”, which seemed very much like Scottish eyebrows to me, flying mad all over his face. Hence, where part of the inspiration for the name “Dougal” came from.

Dougal has proven to be an excellent addition to our family. He is getting on quite well with Ebony, if there were a few hisses and swats at first. They like to play with each other, and though I don’t think Ebony will admit it, he likes having a “young whippersnapper” around. Dougal is quite energetic and is very curious about everything. He doesn’t quite understand the rules of the house yet (just last night he stole a perfectly good steak off a pan on the stove and dragged it down the hall to share with Ebony!), but we’re working on it. We love the youthful energy he brings to our home, and we look forward to many more years enjoying his company.