Ode to Mr. B

     We are sad to report the passing of our beloved black cat, Mr. B.  He was the boss, we were the obedient servants, and I can say without hesitation that he brought a lot of joy to our home over the past 8 years.

     When Mr. B’s owner died, he was a big (20 lbs +) momma’s boy (to both his real mother and his human mother).  In his time at the Ontonagon County Animal Protection shelter, he grieved so hard he stopped eating, dropped to 12 pounds, and ended up with severe liver damage.  A call went out that he was at Deepwoods Veterinary clinic with an esophageal tube (to help administer the liver meds he needed) and was ‘circling the drain’.  The email said it bluntly:  “It looks like he has lost the will to live!”

     As I was in Oregon at the time, my wife called the clinic and asked if she could visit.  The Mr. B that greeted her was dull eyed and behind on his grooming.  By the second visit, he had perked up and was making a fuss in the back room as soon as he heard her voice.  Before she even reported on visit #3, I told Elizabeth and Todd at the WOAS West Coast Bureau, “Well, we are getting a new cat!”  Our first black rescue cat from OCAP (another big boy named Mittens although everyone took to calling him ‘Mr. Mittens’) had a similar backstory – his owner died and he went into a major slump, but without the liver issues.  He was with us four years before he died of a fast moving lymphoma.

     In that we lost Mr. Mittens only a few months before my wife started visiting Mr. B, we hadn’t planned on getting another cat quite this soon.  In fact, we had given away the necessary cat things so they could be used by other cats in need.  No matter, a quick trip to Houghton and we were ready to receive Mr. B.  We brought him home, feeding tube and all, not knowing if he would survive.  We thought, “Well, if he doesn’t make it, at least he will have a home.”  Over the next 8 years, he had a few other health issues (IBS, thyroid issues, a benign tumor removed from his belly) but he rallied each time.

     Age and his health issues caught up to him in early April and when the meds stopped working and he stopped eating, the writing was on the wall.  Godspeed, Mr. B., it was our pleasure to have you grace our home.  Let us remind you – if you want an animal, visit OCAP.  Consider a senior dog or cat – they need homes and have a lot of love to share!  

Top Piece Video:  A tune as spunky as our black cats have been – courtesy of Beck, Bogart and Appice in Japane 1973