At left is a photo of Georgie taken last year and before the health issues. That cat surely loved to sit outside on the terrace and enjoy the morning Costa Rica sun. Eyes closed and as close to being in heaven as he could get yet still be alive.

He was quite old…. fourteen plus… and had terrible and incurable kidney problems, common for old cats. In addition, he was nearly blind.  I feel terribly guilty as I probably waited too long and caused him too much suffering.  It was just too hard to let go.

If you wish… read on!

Georgie was a many time grand champion Abyssinian and the only animal who did not join the family as a kitten.  He was an old and experienced 2+ year old cat when my friend and Abby breeder Robin Sessler suggested that he needed a home other than her cattery.  I accepted, and Georgie came to live with me in about 1998. Shortly thereafter, one of his many offspring, great granddaughter Charlie, joined the clan, and off we went to live in Costa Rica. A true adventure for man and cats.

Georgie loved it here… no more cold Chicago winters… easy to find a sunspot nearly any day of the year, and someone always in the house to pay him some attention.  He could always find a welcome spot on anyone’s lap.

Helluva life I suppose and that memory makes me very happy.

Any of you who have pets know that they are so much more than just animals or birds or whatever.  They are the essence of family. Their loss is as painful to us as the loss of a dear friend and can be equal too or greater than the loss of some family members. I think I know why.

I have given this some thought and I have concluded that this is because our pets, unlike our friends or even family, are simply incapable of hurting us, intentionally or otherwise. They demand little.  They are, under normal circumstances, love machines, wanting so very little and giving so very much. No contracts, no expectations.  Georgie was a most special cat.  He loved and trusted everyone.  Those who slept in this house could be awakened (annoyingly, I grant you) by Georgie’s cold nose literally head butting them out of their sleep… motor running at full volume.

I do not know how I will survive without that cat….

Georgie and Charlie are famous in Costa Rica, at least amongst cat lovers!

After a few years of living here, I had the honor of taking George and Charlie to be exhibited at a pet show in Coronado.  There I had the pleasure of meeting Adelita Durán, president of la Asociación Ga-Ticos. This wonderful lady puts on cat shows almost every year (TICA sponsored).

She apparently then contacted Christine Bork, publisher of the pet magazine. Pets & Mas, (pets and more) who soon came to my home with a photo crew to do an article on Abyssinians in general and George and Charlie (pictured left) in particular! Not too many pet owners have the opportunity to have their special family entered into posterity in the best pet magazine in Central America! If any of you are inclined to read that issue, it is number 47 (Vol 1, Year 5, 2004) and can be ordered here.

I wish that I could say that I feel better after writing this.  I thought I would.  I simply do not.  I miss Georgie every minute of every day.  I believe that animals, like children, go directly to heaven, (no matter how you define “heaven”).  I believe it to be automatic and instant.

Logically, I know I will survive this…  I know that this too shall pass… But I hurt so damned much.

Rest in peace my Georgie.

The bird’s name is Qui Qui. It is a yellow naped amazon parrot and it (we are not sure of the sex) is bilingual and quite likely, bi-polar. ML spends hours with the thing, singing to it, changing the cage, teaching to say new things, giving it treats. The bird hates her. I on the other hand pretty much ignore the bird. If convenient, I’ll share a nut or something.

The bird loves me. In fact, I am the only person who can even get near the thing. If I am anywhere out on the terrace, the bird will slide down the edge of its cage and walk over (can fly but prefers to walk) to wherever I am sitting and crawls up my leg and sit on my arm, shoulder… whatever.

The bird has a daily diet of the usual seeds and stuff. It also gets chicken and who knows what else. My wifey, you see, believes that parrots pretty much like anything she does, so the bird also gets toast and coffee each morning.

I have tried to communicate to her that parrots (as far as I know) do not normally consume coffee and toast in the wild and I sorta doubt that chicken, cooked or not, is on the recommended food list for parrots. I could be wrong about this of course. Anyway, it would appear the bird is now addicted to caffeine as it is positively grumpy until Maria has brought it its coffee and toast each morning.

The bird is also a thief and given the chance, will pickpocket you in a thrice. Actually, this is not accurate. It pickpockets ME and I have lost keys, cash, and other items to this creature. However, it appears very healthy and happy and looks MUCH better than nearly all of the loras (parrots) I have seen here.

Pirolina is my dog. I guess I should say she WAS my dog until “that woman” moved in (this references my wife), after which she promptly became HER dog.   This sort of irritates me as dogs are supposed to be loyal. Ha.  She was foisted off on me by my friend Beverly whose son found her 80% dead under a bridge.

Here is a home movie taken about 4 years ago (before SHE moved in and stole my dog). Like most home movies, it is boring to anyone except family. Here Piro, then just a puppy, is playing with Georgie, one of our two Abyssinian cats. Watch only if you have absolutely nothing better to do.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the morning when we get up and when ML gets home from work, you cannot hear yourself think as all the animals start making noises at the same time.   I guess that is good huh?  My family circus.  Gotta love it.