[raven74]

My parents cat - he was originally my cat and dad finagled a way of keeping his "fishing buddy" when I left home - was put peacefully to rest today at 19 years of age. My parents, so far away right now, cried as I told them over the phone. They knew it was almost time. And they know they could not do it themselves.
In his hey day, Willie was a behemoth of a cat, running at a fit 11kg's - he was huge. Black as night and the most amazing green eyes. He was my first rescue. He was placid and smoochy. He lived in a house on the river and he spent his mornings sitting on the front of dad's boat as dad took his fish out of the nets, or on the tree limb above dad's head. Dad used to get a tap on the head - his call for fish. Willie was an expert at falling out of the tree. Dad was an expert at fishing him out of the river. Willie never attempted to catch the plethora of river birds that make dad's jetty his home - the ducks, the egrets, gulls and swans. He just watched them with those eyes, watched them eat his share of the fish.
He gave head bunts on asking and purred; a deep rumble from his chest. He rumbled today for me, as I loved him, as he gave me one last bunt, as he breathed his last. They don't make many like you, big boy. As dad would day, "Au revoir, Wilbur".

Willie - King of Cats by raven:74, on Flickr

[living~in~the~no...]

RIP Beautiful cat. It sounds like you had a marvelous life. What a wonderful set of memories you have left behind you.

[tenar]

It's easy to tell from your words how you loved him. Go free old boy.

[Madeline's Mum]

Oh Raven, I am in tears reading this. Rest in peace Willie, sounds like you had an amazing life filled with an abundance of love.

Hope you're ok tonight, you must be devastated.

[dreamingofcats]

Thats crushing. He looks like my boy.

I am so sorry lovely xx

[cardamom]

What a beautiful boy. So sorry for your loss.

[raven74]

Thanks ladies, he was such an amazing cat.
It was horrible, digging that hole, than afterwards having to call mum & dad. Tonight, even on oppisite sides of australia, we are raising a glass to the old boy.

[Jekaho]

So sorry for your loss. RIP beautiful boy!

[Thestral]

Aw, RIP. He is beautiful. 19 years - wow! What a long and sounds like happy life he had

[futureself]

That was a wonderful Eulogy.
I can only imagine how heartbreakingly awful that call to your parents must have been
RIP to your King of Cats