What a great tribute, SRP. Thanks for posting that. I love the photo of him and Nyssa in bed. As my cat got older, and it was just the two of us in the house, she would get in bed with me at night under the covers, and just look up at me with adoring eyes.
As I said before, your first picture of him in the post from new York reminded me of Old Deuteronomy from Cats.
Goodbye, Tucker.
Michele sent me to visit the doctor.
Tucker's a beautiful cat. I guess I should say was. While 17 years is a good long life for a cat, I doubt that's any consolation to Diane and Stephen--or even you, SRP. Like you said, rest in peace, Tucker.
Michele says hello.
Beautiful tribute to a wonderful friend. Our animals seem to own us far more than we own them. Their effect on us is profound.
Rest in peace Tucker.
Hugs to your humans.
Thanks for sharing your, and Stephen's, as well as his parents' love for Tucker. It is always very sad to lose a pet.
Sweet Tucker. I am so very sorry to learn of his passing. My heart goes out to you, his family left behind.
It is always to brief...even 17 years. My deepest sympathies for his cat parents. I know that they miss him greatly.
The hardest part of having a pet comes at the end. And it's when they need us the most.
It seems like Tucker had a good life, and was lucky enough to have great humans to care for him. I wish them all well.
I am so sorry. Tucker was so beautiful. Hugs to all.
Miss M
May he rest in peace, SRP.
I'm so very very sorry...Tucker was a wonderful looking Dude! I love that poem...I would love to have a copy of it...It's so sweet and dear and deeply touching. I say, too, Rest In Peace, Tucker.
I was just returning to Bayreuth, Germany from my sometime home in Vienna, when Diane called me to say that Tucker, our Rascal Tabby had died. I say "Our", because I was with Di when she brought this little, mite infested, skinny, sickly tabby kitten home, which had been found wandering the streets of Chicago. For eight years, we Travelled with Tuck, and another two or three, in Brooklyn, so I came to think of him as "mine" as well. All cats have clearly defined, indeed strong personalities. I think it safe to say that Tucker was even more abundantly blessed with personality, than most.
Tucker was well travelled, though he did not travel well. He was cared for by Di like no other cat I know. He exasperated us, amused us, tormented us, perplexed us, and loved us. The stories I will remember are too numerous to write, though they will always be in my memory and part of my life.
I am crying a little, to think that Tucker is now gone. I am glad that my sister and niece got to know him. He always loved meeting new people; especially those he felt he could control.
I also know, that this November, when I visit Di and Alec again in Brooklyn, that an emptyness will be there. Yes, perhaps the nights will be strangely peaceful and uninterupted, but the morning will not be the same without Tucker looking up at me, and demanding his food with a LOUD Yahwaal. I will half expect to see him high up in the cat tree, peering down at me imperiously. "Good Morning Stephen! I give you leave to enter my domain"
Goodbye Tuck.....you Lovable Rascal! Your Humans Miss You.
Your top photo of Tucker draws me in. I'm so glad I came back to the comments and read the one from your brother.
poignant post and especially so for a cat lover.
I'm sad to hear about Tucker. We lost our cat Morrison to cancer on Friday. It's hard to lose these little friends of ours. Great post and tribute.
I see a gallery showing of cat photos in your future. Have I sadi this already?
Roxanne, thank you so much for your lovely tribute to Tucker! I also wanted to thank the people who wrote such kind comments.
Alhough we knew it was Tucker's time to leave us, and we were "lucky" that he went quickly and didn't seem to suffer for long, we miss him. I was talking to Stephen today, and we were reminiscing about how much pleasure Tucker derived from alternately driving us to distraction and loving us so much (he used to softly press his paw against my nose or my lips when we snuggled.) Tanyah seems to just now be concerned and perplexed that he is not around. Alec has never had a pet before and is stunned at how he misses Tuck.
As Stephen said, Tuck had a full life. He lived in over 20 cities and crisscrossed the nation for 8 years. We would never have found Tanyah in that Nevada motel if Tuck hadn't sat staring at the mattress. Because of Tuck, we had the hotel unbolt the mattress and cut it open to discover Tanyah had burrowed inside. We almost left without her. Shows that one should trust their pets. Tuck also tried to fly in Philly when I opened the window in my loft to insert the screen (to keep Tuck from falling out) and he flew past me and I managed to grab his tail. He dangled 5 stories up for just a second before I yanked him in! Shows that one should not trust their pets!
He loved riding in cardboard boxes (if you stopped pushing it around, he'd yell at you); he yelled at the sun when it moved while he was sleeping in it; he loved chasing lazer lights; bullying Tanyah; keeping us awake at night; stealing my pillow at night; sticking his bottom in Alec's face while he was sleeping; chasing the screensaver bouncing ball or wacking at ice skaters on TV or running around the back of the television to see where race cars went; and he used to fall out of the cat tree.
Everyone who has loved and been loved by a pet understands how easy it is to love them and how hard it is to say goodbye. I was honored to be his protector and caretaker for 17 years. All I can say is Thanks, Tuck!
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