Reg is a very old cat. He’s in his 18th year now, he’s noticeably slowing down. He doesn’t venture too far these days, not even upstairs. A long walk for Reg is through his flap into the back garden to do his business, then back in the house again for a much earned rest. We know, too, that he is coming to the end of his time and is only still with us due to the miracle of horrendously expensive drugs. As we, and me in particular, grow older, we have decided he will be our last cat. When the time comes to say goodbye, it will be the end of a very long era.
We took Reg from the Bristol Cat’s Protection League in Southmead. He was a young cat, rather than a kitten, and he came to us with his tabby friend, Ron. Reg was found, as a kitten, walking the streets of Filton in Bristol, presumably abandoned, as so many animals are these days. It was our privilege to become his humans. Apart from the increasing costs of keeping an old cat – and I’ll come back to that in a moment – we have looked upon caring for Reg as a privilege. We love him dearly.
He has never been a hunter, as his late friend Ron was. Ron was a nightmare, bringing in mice, frogs, birds and, once, a rat which was almost as big as he was. Instead, Reg brought in mad things like straws or pieces of stale bread.
Once, he left us for another home a fair distance away. It turned out he hated one of next door’s cats, who would come through his flap, eat his food and, once, slept on our bed, when we were in it. When next door’s cat died, Reg happily returned. There was no mourning.
Nor was there any mourning from Reg when Ron died, or when our big ginger cat Charlie died. If anything, he was happier than ever. We knew that he always wanted to be an only cat and when he finally became one, he got all the attention he felt he deserved.
Apart from slowing down and sleeping more than ever, he seems happy and healthy enough. He still eats well and demands more food by poking you and shouting at you. However, time waits for no cat.
If he is suffering, we will not extend his suffering. When the time comes, we will take him to the vet to say goodbye. He has been a wonderful companion for all these years, we love him dearly and feel it is our duty to ensure he does not suffer in pain.
The cost aspect doesn’t really come into it. It’s costing an arm and a leg for his drugs and check ups but, thanks to the insurance policy we took out some years ago, we can afford it. For increasing numbers of people, this is not the case and this explains, in part, why so many animals are being abandoned. I find every single story of a cat or a dog being abandoned as heartbreaking and at some point we are going to need to have a public debate about why this is happening, what we can do about it and, even more importantly, launch an education programme targeted at potential pet owners to ensure they know just how expensive things can get. Reg won’t have to worry about being abandoned but millions of animals suffer that fate.
I have been with the vet when they have put all our other cats “to sleep”, as we call it, perhaps to make us not feel too bad about it. We always believe, no we know, it’s the right thing to do at the right time, assisted in our judgement by the opinion of the vet. I only wish this could happen to humans, albeit with their consent.
Indeed, we think nothing of euthanising our pets and I have no idea why this should not apply to us humans. If I go downhill and have no idea what day it is or where I am, I would not wish to be kept alive for the sake of it. Who would that help? Not me. There will be a DNR note at the end of my bed, just like there will be for every pet we ever had.
Reg makes us happy. He’s a funny boy and I think he has had a good life, better and longer than the one he would have had on the streets of Filton.
My partner and I have always had cats since we got together some 35 years ago and they have enriched our lives. The end of the cat era is now in sight and frankly I am not looking forward to a cat free life. In the meantime, we continue to enjoy and indeed spoil Reg for as long as he is here.
Nearly 18 and counting, well over 100 in human years. I’d settle for the latter, for sure. Keep on poking, shouting and sleeping in silly places (see above) for as long as you can.
Good old Reg.
