Tasha the cat passed away on March 6, 2008. He leaves behind at least two litters of kittens who long ago grew up and no doubt made him a grandpa a long time ago.
Some remembrances of my old friend:
- I always felt he may have been taken away from his mama a little too early as a kitten because he used to chew on our shirts and knead our chests like we was trying to nurse, from both men and women alike.
- He eventually outgrew that, but he did continue to have a very close relationship with blankets and afghans which seemed to be romantic in nature. He would be quite irate if one tried to separate them before he was -er- done.
- Back in Athens, Tasha was a serious outdoor cat, staying gone sometimes for days at a stretch and coming home just to eat and sleep and then disappearing into the night again.
- During Tasha's long lifetime (96 in cat years) he lived in Athens, Atlanta, Manhattan, Queens, and Allentown.
- He took well to Hayden and Harrison, who loved him in turn. When they started out playing a little too roughly with him we taught them to treat the old guy gently, and, to the boys credit, they became quite careful when handling him.
- He was quite verbal---he would meow if you began or ended a sentence with "Tasha."
- He will be missed.
