Maurice, mon amour mon ami.

 

The first time I saw him, he was standing beside a massive dog, unperturbed, licking himself. He was six weeks old and the last litter. I came to claim him and named him, Maurice, pronounced with a French accent. That was July 2003.

Maurice was a short hair tuxedo cat, similar to Henri, le Chat Noir.

On the way to his new home, he hated riding in the car. He cried as if he was being tortured that would make your blood curdle. Cats have long memories. He never forgot that ride. Every time I took him to the vet which was only 10 minutes drive, the same story.  Cat screaming.  In his anxiety, he managed to bite my hand, punctured the skin and blood spilled. That’s how I found out he had a strong jaw and sharp teeth!

Strangely enough, he liked his new home. He settled in quite well. No hiding behind dressers, sofa nor under the bed.  He knew where the litter box, made a beeline to it and left his markings.

The minute he saw my lap, he sat on it, and we both relaxed together. I gave him whatever he wants and did not forbid him from doing anything mischievous. He was a well-mannered cat.

Maurice was an indoor cat who loved spending time at the balcony watching the birds, skunks, raccoons, and squirrels.  His favorite was hunting for moths at night and spitting it for me as a present. He never jumped out of the third-floor balcony. During cold seasons, he sat by the window.

I did try to take him for a walk on a leash. He never enjoyed it at all. So that was that! However, he had no problem escaping every time I opened the front door of my apartment to walk up and down the hallway. Once outside, he did not want to come home and I struggled to coax him to come home. Secondly, he loved visiting the neighbors.

Over time, he spent more time napping as he grew older, slower, sicker and comforted him until he died on the 4th of July 2016.

Maurice added joy, laughter, and playfulness to my life. Completely changed my life. He was my longest companion. He helped me forget about myself and eased episodes of depressions. He taught me how to live worry-free and become content in life.