by Rosalie Trost
He was all the love in the world, wrapped up in a little bundle of fur. He was trusting innocence, and loved me unconditionally and completely.
I first met him when he was a little two-month-old kitten living on Jim's old home farm. It was July 1986, and Jim was pushing his father's old tractor out of the barn to see if he could get it started. Dodo began
playing with the grass being pushed down in front of the front tire. Jim said, "Watch out, Dodo; you'll get squished!" Dodo paid no attention, but kept pouncing on the grass with glee. He was then mostly white with gray striped points like a Siamese mix, and his eyes were already a beautiful light blue.
Tammy, who owned him, was reluctant to part with him, but I must have shown how much I already loved him, because she agreed he could be mine. I was so happy, I rushed out and picked him up and took him in the house, and said "He's mine!!!" I took him to the vet right away for shots and a checkup. When I got him home, I gave him flea bath which was really needed!
The first night, when we went to bed, I could hear him playing near the foot of the bed and wiggled my toe to attract him. He jumped up to play with my toe a bit, and spent the rest of that night, and most of the ones thereafter sleeping against my right leg. As he grew, his fur turned a little darker each year, until he was mostly black, gray, and white striped, still with darker points, and with some light brown near his head and on his back. His chest and tummy remained white, as did the tips of his toes.
He always looked like he was smiling, and was always happy. He liked to drink fresh water from the bathroom sink, and would always demand it when we were there. He never liked to have his ears touched when being petted. He developed a purr, that strengthened over the years, from heavy breathing to a genuine tummy rumble.
At first, he wouldn't sit on laps or be held for any length of time, although he would always be near me wherever I would be in the house, always my little shadow. One winter, when he was two, I had the tan and blue afghan across my lap, and he came up and started kneading his claws, kitten-style on my leg. He settled down with his front paws and chest on my leg, the rest of him on the afghan to sleep for several hours. From then on, he would follow the same routine each evening, (or day if I was sitting there), kneading my lap, often for quite a while, then settling down farther and farther onto my lap. Eventually, he would stretch out full length on my legs if they were up on the coffee table, and sleep for hours. He was so warm and beautiful.
Dodo loved soft things, like thick Spanish blankets and rugs in front of a nice hot wood stove. Any patch of sun would find him sleeping in it. One of his favorites was to jump up onto the carpet-covered dividers in the bathrooms, especially if we were there together, or if the sun was shining on them; these were also good for sharpening claws. If we couldn't find him, he was usually in either the upstairs or downstairs bathroom towel cabinet, sound asleep. He also loved to sit in the upstairs bathroom window, watching the birds and sniffing the fresh air.
One of his favorite foods was real tuna fish, especially the water that came with it; he must have been able to smell it the second I opened the can because he was right there. He also loved cantaloupe! Peas, broccoli, turkey, and bacon were also high on his list.
He understood quite a few words, like, "hungry?", or, "thirsty?", or, "come sit", or, " time for bed", or, "change clothes", or, "take a shower", or, "window?", or, "OUT!" (especially effective), or, "Beep!". The last was good for clearing the way so he wouldn't get stepped on. All the rest were good either for being fed, or following me upstairs.
Sandra Haynes has painted a portrait of him. It will always be in a place of honor in my house. I've tried to take a lot of pictures of him for remembrance, but of course, it's not enough. He died of cancer April 23, 2000, peacefully in his sleep. I miss him so dreadfully, but I know he's waiting for me by the Rainbow Bridge and that's he's out of pain and is happily playing and sleeping in the sunshine. I will always love him.