Potvin

[vaneramos]

His eyes are actually green


One highlight of my visit home last week was seeing Potvin again.

Upon first seeing me, he often struts from the room, as if resentful of my leaving him. This time he appeared while we were eating, came directly over and greeted me: head, chin, arched rump.

When he lived here he would spend all day on the armchair beside my computer, an arm's length away. When I went into hospital for a week in 2002, Bob came to feed the cat daily, but Potvin nearly starved himself. Afterward he remained too depressed to eat or drink. In desperation I offered him wet food; it saved his life. He started consuming huge volumes of water and peeing endlessly, which he still does. I could no longer keep him here, so he went to live with my parents.

Once a day he offers his soft, white belly. In this position, one can actually spin him on a linoleum floor. He is patient with indignity. I believe he quietly spins the world.

He sometimes stares you in the eye, not the cold gaze for which his species is famous, but a thoughtful one. He never hisses or scratches, a gentleman among cats.

Comments

[grandiva1968.livejournal.com]

Meow.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Mep.

[noveldevice.livejournal.com]

What an amazing boy! He looks so soft and pettable.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yes, he is not a lap cat and only likes to be picked up once in a while, but he'll ask to be petted for as long as you have the patience. Above all, he likes company.

[pascendi.livejournal.com]

Happy you... My cat died this Feb 27th at almost 16 years old... So I silly miss a cat by my side...

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry. I do miss my cat since he can no longer live with me, but it's nice to visit him from time to time. He was 3 or so when I adopted him in 1998, so must be about 10.

[dakoopst.livejournal.com]

He is beautiful.

I am SO a cat person. Dogs are wonderful, too, but I will always be owned by a cat.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've always thought him one of the handsomest cats I've known. Sad to say, Danny and I are both allergic to cats, so it's doubtful I'll attempt pethood again. I didn't know this about you, Stephen. Will you post something about your owner one of these days?

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

He's such a startlingly handsome lad. It's good to see him looking so well.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Although this photo is several years old, he is little changed except for some weight put on in my parents' care.

[apel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, like you said, he looks a lot like the cat I took a picture of recently. May he have many well-loved years. :-)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I hope so, too. My parents' cats lived to 19 and 15, so he is in good hands. It's quiet a striking resemblance, even the way the white curls back over his shoulder. Your cat looks like a hunter, though; Potvin is only a casual birdwatcher.

[eloquentwthrage.livejournal.com]

This girl's getting up there in age. She's 15 now. Jesus. I hope I have her another 15...

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I hope so, too. Yesterday one of my LJ friends realized her cat is 21.

[eloquentwthrage.livejournal.com]

Makes me feel a little better! She's very healthy, though she's overdue for an annual vet visit. I'll have to priorize that.

[freakystyle.livejournal.com]

What kind of cat is he? My cat looks a lot like him (as you know). Some type of tabby maybe?

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I think the adoption agency described him as a brown and white tabby. I must see your cat again. My memory of the previous visit is somewhat selective. ;-)