My Dear Romeo

Born on Valentine's Day, 2001
Passed away on April 29, 2010

at the age of 9

Mommy and Daddy saying goodbye

How sweet it was to hear him purr for the last time and to hear him talk to me again. This video was taken on the same day that we put him down. Reina, as I mentioned in the video, is his beloved 'wife' who passed away suddenly in December. Ever since then, Romeo had not been the same. He became depressed and hid in the closet most of the day. I knew I should be worried when he stopped eating his wet food. When we took him into the doctors he had dropped from being 17 lbs, three years earlier, to a devastating 9 lbs. We ran tests, gave him several medications, but he kept on losing the weight and stopped eating altogether. After a month of debating what to do for Romeo, we decided to let him pass on to a better place where he could be with Reina again and not be in pain any more. Sometimes I still have flashbacks of Roo and find myself missing him a lot. But he lived a glorious life. There were many wonderful moments.

Here's a tribute to my memories with Romeo:

• He's my darling Roo. Probably the animal I've had the longest in my life. He was my baby for 6 years. My mom gave him to me for my 22nd birthday. I found him in an animal shelter way back in California. I went into the shelter, as a brand-new convert, asking the Spirit to help me find the kitty I was supposed to adopt. Romeo's cage was in the corner, and the second I heard him meow at me, I knew. When I held him we had an instant bond.
• A few months later he met his future dad. It took him a couple of months to warm up to Jon once we were married and now living in Utah. However, once that happened I remember Rudakiss becoming a trader and starting to like his dad more than me! (All because his dad was the one who would come home early enough to feed him first. Romeo did love his food. Always begging for more.) You knew Romeo was favoring you because at night he would sleep between your legs, making it impossible to change positions. This drove Jon nuts :0)
• Rudy did not like to travel, but he was forced to anyway. There was no way we were not bringing all of our kids with us where ever we moved. If Romeo was really nervous in the car he would stick his tongue out like a dog and start panting, but it really made him look like a snake. Romeo started his life in California, had a detour in Provo for 2 years, and finished his final three years in Indiana. He traveled by car to all of these new destinations. Poor thing. He is now buried next to Reina in a beautiful place.
• He and Reina loved to wrestle. Like clock-work, every night at 10 pm they would take off upstairs and chase and tackle each other. It brought Jon and I so much laughter. It was the best entertainment ever. One day I hope to post of video of their matches.
• Having Romeo was like having a dog. He would come to a whistle, no matter where he was. He could be around the block and he would still come scurrying to us with his stomach flab swinging to and fro. He was protective like a dog. If we were all outside and a dog came near our yard, he would puff up and try and scare the dog away. So cute. He also liked to go on walks. Whenever Jon and I and the kids would go on walks, he would tag right along. Several times I was able to get him to follow us all the way around the block. So sweet. What a great cat. What a great companion.
• Rooster was also a master hunter. I learned this right away when I adopted him. Within the first couple of days of letting him outside, he brought home a gift for his new mommy of a nice feathery bird. Then another and another. To Romeo's disappointment a loud, obnoxious bell was placed around this panther's neck. He proceeded to find ways to catch grasshoppers and mice. Once of my least fond memories of his mice catching happened on the day that I brought my first baby Lincoln home. In comes Romeo through the basement window (which happened to be the nursery window!!!!!) with a live mouse in his mouth. Of course he doesn't kill it and lets the dang thing go in my newborn's room. I seriously had a major panic attack and thought my world was coming to an end. Luckily Romeo and Daddy fished the dang thing out of the shoe closet and got it the heck outside. Crazy times. But fun memories.
• Romeo had a ba-gillion nicknames. Jon and I are suckers for nicknames, so here are a few of his: Rudy, Rudakiss, Roo, Rooster, Reclusakiss (like recluse), Romey, and Romeo cheese. We love and miss you our dear Romeo. See ya in heaven, Rudy.