Empty nest
Nov. 15, 2014

A really extraordinary cat, Rowdy Wuehrmann, left us this morning.  I write here with this news because I know many of the folks who read this blog were admirers of his.  He had a well-deserved large fan club.

 Rowdy came to us as a tiny kitten 19 years ago with an obvious mission to help me.  I don’t think he intended to stay as long as he did, but we were pretty much joined at the hip from day one; letting go was as difficult for him as it was for us.  The brave little guy stuck around longer than was comfortable for him; we sent him along with loving blessings for a really great time.

Our final empty nest immediately feels . . . well, frightfully empty, so I shall endeavor to recollect in my mind all the amazing Rowdy stories from those years to cheer me up over this rough time.

From the very first, it was obvious that Rowdy was not just any cat, but instead had the attributes of a person: his command of the English language rivaled any teenager around today and then some, and his behavior was always meant to bring joy and laughter.  He went out of his way to perform hilarious antics and to be one of the kids.  He never got his tail shut in a door nor did he get underfoot and stepped on; he seemed to know just how to adapt to the people world.

And what an adventurer he turned out to be!  He “hiked” into the Verde River canyon with us and enjoyed the day out on an island, and proved his seaworthiness by sailing on a Lake Mohave houseboat.  He was quite fascinated with the loon bobbing nearby.  He loved going to the garden with me, and was quite adept at secreting himself amongst the vines when it was time to go in.

RVing brought all kinds of excitement to the boy; right away, he tuned into the procedure of hitting the road and always knew when we neared the night’s RV park, leading us seamlessly to our turn by putting his front feet on the dashboard, peering intently out the windshield and directing the whole process.  And of course, after we were set up, he always remained obediently on the “patio” except for those times when he did not.

The past year of blindness has not been much fun for him and his health declined throughout it.  He leaves us with sad hearts and great gratitude for the gifts he brought into our lives.