We love our pets. They make our lives richer, better, more complicated at times (try finding a dog-sitter for Thanksgiving weekend at the last minute), and one of the worst things on earth is when we lose them.
It’s awful when it happens, when we lose one of our own. It’s not supposed to happen with other peoples’ pets.
But it happened this past week to me when Sid died.
Most of you know Sid. He was the light of my dear friend Kate Walker’s life. He waltzed into her house one day and simply took over. There was life Before Sid, and Life During Sid was totally different.
He was the cat who made sitting and writing for hours in an office worthwhile – because, quite simply, he was there.
He could be snoozing on the chair or lying in the window or studying the effects of batting the mouse. It didn’t matter. He was endlessly entertaining – even when he slept.
I ask myself why. I asked Kate why.
Of all her cats, he was the most memorable. Of the four who were there when I first visited, Sid was the one who interacted with us. The others were lovely (well, Dylan, not so much. He was cantankerous and gruff, but he did have his soft spot).
Sid had a whole flabsack of soft spots. He tried to pretend he wasn’t interested in people, but he could never quite pull it off. He was too busy being in the center of things.
I read a book once that said that Maine Coon cats were “middle of the room” cats. If so, Sid was a Maine Coon cat in disguise. More than an Maine Coon cat actually because he wasn’t so much a middle of the room cat, as a “middle of the heart” cat.
You couldn’t help but fall in love with Sid.
I probably had half a dozen visits with Sid in my life. Each one was special. I frequently offered him hospitality on this side of the pond. I told him that the d.o.g.s. would be happy to see him. And they would.
But he’d done his wandering as a youth, and when he got to Kate’s, he made up his mind that that was where home was, and he wasn’t about to stray. So he never visited in person (in cat). But he frequently dropped into my email in-box.
He had a way with words, did Sid. He had Opinions and Views, and he didn’t hesitate to articulate them. He also had Standards – and he worked hard to bring Flora and Chaz (that’s Charlie) up to the mark. He never bothered to try with Dylan. Even Sid had his limits, and there are just some cats you know you can’t shape up.
I will miss his correspondence. There will be no more letters from Sir Sidney St John Willoughby Eamonn Portly-Lummox, DLitt Oxon, Bart., Earl of Blubberhouses and I forget what else (HE never forgot).
I will miss the new and wonderful photos that Kate would send when he was feeling photogenic. One year he sent me a calendar called A Year Of Sid – with a photo of Himself for each month. I still have it. I cherish it.
I also have a t-shirt with his picture on it (Can you tell that Sid didn’t need a marketing department. He had self-promotion down pat – not that he needed it. He got plenty of ear rubs and head scratches just by being himself). I have been wearing Sid’s t-shirt a lot these last few weeks because it made me feel closer to him.
He was, he used to tell me, A Cat of Superior Breeding. He even had an email address that was, in part, SidACOSB, 
because, well, why wouldn’t he?
But the truth is, he wasn’t A Cat of Superior Breeding. He was THE Cat. The one and only.
He’s left a Sid shaped hole in all parts of Kate’s life.
He’s left a Sid-shaped hole in my heart.
Poor Sid. I hope Kate is faring okay…
Talli,
Thanks for stopping by. I think Sid is in a better place now — and his mouth doesn’t hurt anymore. It will be hard for Kate, but she has wonderful memories.
Thank you so muchy for this – it’s a lovely tribute but then I wouldn’t have expected anything else. I never quite stopped being amazed at how easily Sid made friends with so many people – It shouldn’t have surprised me at all because it happened all the time – but his relationship with his dear Lady Across the Pond was always special. I’ll never forget introducing the two of you to each other and seeing the instant rapport – the very special head rubbs that only you could do, to get *just* the best spot -the way he would tramp all over you when you first went to bed after a long-haul flight to get here – the best known cure for jet lag ever. And the email conversations he never had with anyone else.
You are so right about life Before and Life During Sid – Life After Sid is pretty damn hard at the moment. There is a great big, head butting, purring hugging hole eveywhere I look and sleep – and how I’m supposed to write without the Flabsack weighting down my papers, I’ll never know. But we will all all be the better for having known him and that hole is the price for some fabulous years.
Thank yu for posting up those lovely photos – I too have A Year of Sid calendar and it shows just how photogenic he was. Butnthere’s one thing- and this is an answer to Talli too (thanik you Talli) Seeing those photos of The Cat of Superior Breeding in all his spectacular prime lets me know that I definitely did the right thing for him, however hard the decision was personally. He was just 1/4 of the cat he had been – barely that – and he wouldn’t have wanted those who loved him – of which there were many – to let him linger.
But we’ll all miss him,
We all do miss him, Kate. He is in his prime again. I’m sure he’s busy creating an Eternity of Sid Calendar to be ready for us when we join him on his side of the bridge.
A Lovely tribute and fabulous photos of an awesome friend!
He was indeed an awesome cat, Nas. I wish everyone could have known him.
This is such a wonderful tribute to Sid. I have been semi-following Kate’s blog for just over a year and even I knew that Sid was special. Pets usually bring so much joy into our lives that when the hard time comes we have lots of memories to try and fill the void.
What a beautiful tribute. The picture where he’s lying upside-down-ish and you can see his belly is absolutely adorable. ♥
Kaelee, you are so right that Sid was special. He still is, as a matter of fact. I’ve pointed out to Kate that now — unconfined by his earthly existence — Sid is participating in Eternal Teatime and can meddle wherever his heart desires! The best of Sid is doubtless yet to come.
Traxy, I love that picture, too. I had notecards made of it for Kate last Christmas. She sent one back to me last week — and Sid in notecard form is now on my kitchen cabinet supervising Teatime across the pond. I knew he’d get here eventually!
Its such as you read my thoughts! You appear to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you just could do with some % to power the message house a bit, but other than that, this is great blog. An excellent read. I will definitely be back.
I adored Sid and just saw this post. Kate must be miserable. My orange tabby, Sr, Winston always sent notes to Sid. I’ll mourn his loss, Anne. I know you and Sid had a great relationship.
By the Way, just finished Night That Changed Everything and adored it!
Marilyn,
Thank you for your post — and for remembering Sid with fondness. We all do. He was a spectacular cat. We are all blessed for having known him.
Thanks, too, for your kind comments of The Night That Changed Everything. I’m so glad you hear you liked it. Nick and Edie are, too! Happy holidays!