Smudge

[Steve Morgan]

The picture attached is of our dear old boy"Smudge" who sadly crossed the bridge in March of 2010.
We had him as a kitten, when my sister rescued him from a gang of boys using him as a football!!
He was quite a mess when we got him, full of fleas and earmites and a busted up tummy from all the kicking.....
The vet said he would not last the night, that was 16 years ago!!
A lot of TLC and treatment and he came along fine. He couldonly eat bland foods because of the damage to his tummy, but he thrived on this and got up to a healthy 17lbs. A few people said “wow he is big; he looks likea Maine Coon”……..
He was a real character and very cleaver. He was also a very loving cat and loved to be around us. If ever one of us was ill or under the weather, Smudge could sense this and would come and sit or lay by us for hours until he thought we were feeling better.
Sadly in 2009 he became diabetic and this condition got progressively worse, so that by early 2010 we were having to inject him with quite large doses of insulin twice a day. Early one morning in March we found him quite distressed in the kitchen, a visit to the vets confirmed that he was sufferingfrom kidney failure. We brought him home for his last night with us and the next day we had to say our sad goodbye to our dear boy. He is now sleeping under his favourite bush in the garden.
BUT his legacy lives on!!
A few weeks after his passing I was home ill, lying on the sofa wishing I had Smudge to look after me. A thought struck me!! Time for another cat maybe? A quick Google for “Maine Coons” as I remembered peoples comments about Smudge and before we knew it we were slaves to 5 of the “little”darlings.
As special as Raggles, Pomeroy, Tilly, Tia and Little Dot are, we will always remember and have a place in our hearts for our special boy“Smudge”.