In loving memory of Gus

Last night was Mike's work Christmas party in Stillwater. It was really fun and we stayed at his parent's house afterwards so we didn't have to drive home late. This morning Mike stayed in Stillwater to get the car's oil changed and I came on to Tulsa because we had a lot on our to-do list. When I got home Gus was laying on the porch. I knew something was wrong because he always jumps up when I get home and meets me at my car door. I could tell he was dead before I even got close to him and I called mike hysterical, scaring him to death. He was just leaving Stillwater, so it would be an hour before he got home. I covered Gus up with a towel and cried and cried and cried. When Mike got home we built a little coffin and buried him in the backyard. Mike carved a little "we love gus" in the fence above his grave. We buried him with a cheese cracker, because he loved anything cheese flavored, and a pen, because no matter what toy I bought him he always chose to steal my pen, highlighter or pencil I was using.

I got Gus the end of my freshman year of college when I moved out of the dorms and into a one-bedroom apartment. I brought Chloe from Ponca and wanted to get her a companion. I looked on petfinder and found 3 year old Gus at the Stillwater pound and knew he was a perfect fit. I got him the next day and although he was shy he loved it there from the start. This is a picture from his first day home.
My ten dollar cat ended up costing me about a thousand dollars those first two years. First, he got an infected tooth that had to be extracted. Then, he got urinary stones and had to have bladder surgery. For the rest of his life, he could only be on wet food. I remember after his first surgery I took his medicine and bills to the car and was coming back for him in the cage in the front of the office. The second I walked out the door he started freaking out thinking I was leaving him. When I came back in, both the vet techs had tears in their eyes at how sad that had made him. Gus loved to snuggle and loved to get right in the middle of whatever I was doing, especially studying. Here are a few pictures from the years we lived at the apartment.

Mike is allergic to cats, so we couldn't have the cats in the house when we moved to Tulsa. I started with them in the garage and they HATED that. I then gave them supervised visits outside and worked up to being outside all the time. They had outside beds and would come into the garage if the weather was bad. I missed having them at the foot of my bed, but I loved not having cat hair in the house and I think they were happier outside. I studied outside any time it was nice my first two years of med school and Gus would always come hang out with me. He sat in my lap when I would read outside, "helped" me weed the garden and was always there to greet us when we came home. Chloe has kind of decided to do her own thing and we see her every once in a while when she needs some attention, but Gus rarely left the porch.

He would have been nine years old in a couple of months and I was so excited for him to be our baby's first pet. He was so gentle and loved everyone and I know that he would have taught her the love of animals that I have. He will be sorely missed and our house just won't be the same without him.