Simms was 4 years old and feline leukemia positive. I had
hopes that he was just a carrier as he did so well for the first three years I had him with me but he became very ill a couple of months ago, with sneezing and lots of congestion. He was very special. Such a big sweet guy. He had this tender, kind of puzzled but curious, look about him and he never fought with anyone. He was very friendly with the other cats, such a sweetheart. This list's dear Tamara found him at a beautiful waterfront park there in Maryland, along with his brother, Tambours. She posted on this very list about his needing a home and that he was feline leukemia positive. I was lucky enough to be chosen by Tamara. As I told her today on the phone, I thanked her for giving him to me because he gave me just pure joy and sunshine every single day. Tamara loved him so much that she drove 18 hours (wasn't it, T?), straight, to deliver him to me in Michigan from Maryland. (She also brought me Sophie that day, to those of you who are familiar with Sophie). He was a pretty peachy shade of color with that lovely target-shaped swirl on his sides and big creamy white feet and some white on his chest and face, too. He had big, tall elegant ears that I loved to stroke when he let me, finally. He was pretty big but when he meowed, it was so soft and high pitched, it was adorable. He didn't meow often as he was very uncomplaining. When Tamara left him with me, she told me I would find that he was a very special cat and she was right, indeed. :-) He must have died overnight, although he still felt a bit warm when I lifted him. I woke up and thought he was not breathing so I let the dogs out and had a better look and yes, my sweet darling boy is gone. His eyes were half open but he did not look scared or in pain. He was stretched out like he was having a good nap and his whiskers were pointing forward. I'm not sure what that meant but I am consoling myself by thinking he did go peacefully and unafraid. I got a package from Tamara yesterday. She had sent two kitty pop-up tents for Simms and the other cats, to cheer Simms up. They are so cool! He was not interested in the tent but he did want to sleep on the crinkly soft pad. I am kind of in shock and grief-torn because I thought he was doing a bit better after seeming like he would die earlier this week. He was diagnosed with either pneumonia or cancer last month and had been on two antibiotics at a time for a while and single antibiotics constantly, along with pain meds towards the end. He wouldn't eat during his last week or so but he would let me force-feed him A/D and chicken baby food along with squirts of water all day long. He was a bit interested in the window and the birdies outside yesterday and he let me stroke his soft head over and over which he never trusted me to do much, previously, so I had thought maybe he was a bit better and would continue to heal. I buried him earlier today with his Christmas stocking and his little mouse and this cute stuffed animal that Tamara sent with him, a purple beanbag bear. It was a beautiful day and that just made it even harder. He was such a dear polite gentle sweet funny gentleman of a cat, a very special, loving boy and I loved him mightily. Here is a link to a few of my favorite photos of him that I uploaded online in case someone would like to see what he looked like: http://tinyurl.com/38skop Well, sorry for this being so long but I know you guys, if anyone, would understand. Anne and angels Simms, Jimi Too Cool and Bugsy along with Sophie and my other living cats and dogs in Michigan