Midian Ranch Blog

This is the web log for Midian Ranch, an isolated homestead in rural Nevada. It is owned by Jason and Tina Walters, whom are also its regular posters. This blog is exclusively for the enlightenment and edification of our friends, family, and colleagues.

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Location: Gerlach, Nevada, United States

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

RIP Adrian The Cat

Adrian the Cat suffered a heart attack, wept, and died in my arms the other day. Her final cries sounded almost like those of a human child: desperate and afraid. This in no way reflects poorly on her personal bravery. She was a fearless and stoic animal for the most part, bullying around dogs four or five times her size even as she slipped gracefully into her dotage. She actually seemed to enjoy moving from the city to the wilderness, though she seldom ventured outside. I can only conclude that her coronary was tremendously painful. She gasped a few more breaths as Tina and I petted her, purred almost undetectably, and was gone. I buried her in the Walters family cemetery that I have cleared next to the ranch’s historical graveyard.

Adrian lived to be 19-years-old and managed to look five or so almost to the very end. This is ancient in Cat Years – the equivalent if I am not mistaken of living into one’s 90s. I think that earns her a reasonable obituary as best as I can give it.

Adrian was Tina Walters’ cat for most of her life. She had two litters and was by all accounts as good a mother as a cat can be. I personally witnessed her rushing maternally to the assistance of crying infants, kittens, and puppies (though she has no idea what to do once she got there). She shared her home with other animals with as much equanimity as one can expect from an aged cat. She attempted to mouse upon occasion, but became winded too quickly to be successful (it was comically painful to watch). Most of her final year was spent sitting on the back of one or the other of the ranch house’s couches, sleeping and waking only occasionally to eat, use her litter box, or complain about the dogs.

Her final month was an unpleasant one. Adrian liked to sleep on the ranch house’s heating vents. Unfortunately, she isn’t the only who does. While we were away in Florida she was bitten on her stomach by something necrotic - probably a brown recluse spider, but there are a lot of poisonous animals to choose from out here. Her attacker’s poison got inside of the fat cells in her belly, killing a clutch of them and creating an infection. She began bleeding profusely. By the time we returned the house looked and smelled like an abattoir. We took her to the veterinarian, who proscribed her antibiotics but couldn’t operate due to her advanced age. In spite of maintaining a reasonable appetite and a desire (I believe) to live, she slowly lost half of her body mass. I think in the end that is what killed her.

Still, though her end was not what anyone would have wanted, Adrian had an extraordinarily long and full life. She lived comfortably, had children, was as pleasant and productive a member of the household as her age and temperament allowed her to be. She managed the adventure of moving from urbane San Francisco to the rugged Black Rock Desert as well as anyone ever does. RIP Adrian: 1989-2008