Martín - Requiem for the neighborhood vet´s cat

[Sue Littleton]

Martín (pronounced Mar-TEEN)

When a beloved pet dies
we lament.
When someone else’s pet dies,
we commiserate.
And then there is the strange case of Martín,
a fat, lazy yellow-striped altered tom
whose sad demise
sent a neighborhood into deep mourning.

He was the veterinary cat
and he slept behind the plate-glass shop window
in his comfy cat bed on a pile of bags of dog food,
surrounded by toys and supplies.
When those who knew his talents came in
and asked him to shake hands,
he would wake up and sit up and oblige most gracefully.
First one paw, then the other, should you insist.
When you offered your forehead
and said “Kiss kiss” he would give you
a few licks with a raspy pink tongue.
Ah, what a cat!

For ten years, whenever I was into cat withdrawal,
determined not to be tied down by pets
(cats to me)
I would walk the block to Martín’s shop
and shake hands and stroke his fat furry self
and get kisses.
I took my grandchildren,
I took pictures.
Finally I accepted that although Martín was wonderful,
he was a block away
and I needed feline friends up close and personal.

We still visited, Martín and I, whenever I went
to buy food for my three.
And then, one day,
Martín was not there.
He had been infected with a strange virus
by a flea bite,
living as he did at the mercy of visiting animals.
Dr. Gabriel, the vet,
who had taught Martín the kitten his tricks,
told me later
that he and three other vets
had done their best to save Martín,
but it was not to be.

As the news spread, the neighbors gathered,
whispering,
“Did you hear,? Martín died!”
“Nooo!”
“How sad!”
“It won’t be the same
without him!” (Nor was it.)
I suppose if we could have gotten away with it
we would have hung wreaths on the door
and sent cards of regret.

I asked Dr. Gabriel if he was going to get
a kitten
and he shook his head in quick denial.
“Never again!”

It’s been a year now, and every time I pass
the vet hospital cum pet supply shop
I find myself looking for Martin,
and I sigh.
I still see the golden curve of his sleeping back
in my mind’s eye ...
I guess I always will
I dry my tears as I write and blow my nose
and think, “Shit, he wasn’t even my cat,
but, damn, I miss him!!”

[mnaz]

i know what you mean. for a couple years the cat next door has spent almost as much time at my place as next door (or so it seems), and she's such a sweetheart. even the local burglar knew i loved this cat. when he came back at 3 AM, 6 months after cleaning me out pretty good ("they always come back"), i roared out of bed to answer his knock, which stunned him a little, and as he backpedaled toward the street he made up a story that he was trying to let me know that my feline friend had been hit by a car. that really hurt...

[.Lucy.]

Oh, this tale of Martín is sad...I've never had pets (though I've always wanted a dog) and I grew up disliking and fearing cats (bad experience when I was young) but I can value the sense of companionship that a pet can provide. A few years ago, our backyard was littered (no pun intended ) with five beautiful red-furred newborn kitties and I watched them grow in awe, leaving milk and food out for them. Then, out of nowhere, they up and left, breaking my heart. In the last few years other cute kitties have stayed in our yard, among our bed of flowers, and every once in a while, a beautiful midnight colored cat whom I titled Lazy Cat will come and rest on our porch in the warmth of the sun. We also have the monthly pet group at my job for the seniors, and I have grown to appreciate the colorful characters that have come to visit with us.

I am sure Martín is very happy, cozy and warm where he is, and shaking paws with all of his friends.

mnaz, that's a crazy story, an I'm sorry to hear that as well...It's sad to hear such news, and from the burglar nonetheless...

[Sue Littleton]

Thank you, Lucy. Sounds as if you also have a secret feline addiction -- and your wee visitors keep you safe from the cat withdrawal syndrome! HUGS, Sue

[happytrails]

Beautiful and touching story here, Sue.

My vet is a sucker for cats. She is a great vet and treats all her patients very well, but she is absolutely besotted by cats. She has about a dozen clinic cats, who are too healthy to be put down, but have health problems that are too expensive for the average pet owner to care for so when they bring her a cat who is has a chronic illness, she adopts the cat rather than put it down. She also has a couple of dogs at the clinic for the same reason. Too healthy to die, too expensive for most people to afford.

Nice lady.

[Sue Littleton]

She sounds wonderful! Please give her my best regards and tell her I think she is the greatest. ♥♥♥