RIP Socks

[jarnon]

The former First Cat had throat cancer. He was 20

The Clintons Bid Farewell to Socks the Cat

[SportsFan68]

Socks was a beautiful kitty.

I'm glad his last forever home was with someone who loved him so much.

[NellyLunatic1980]

He's the first cat I know of who lived to 20 years old.

He definitely lived a long, full, and happy life.

[ghostjmf]

NellyLunatic1980 says:

He's the first cat I know of who lived to 20 years old.

I've known of several, & met a few of them, even. (Unfortunately, none of them mine.) None of them were moving too fast toward the end. But they were still eating!

[T_Bone0806]

He's the first cat I know of who lived to 20 years old.

He definitely lived a long, full, and happy life.

The longest-lived kitty I myself have had made it to 14. Friskie is 13 years old this year, so we are hopeful he will break Scooter's longevity record.

My parents, however, had much better luck with a couple of feline pals. Sasha actually started off with me and my first wife. When we split, my son and I moved in with Mom & Dad for a few months until I could get our lives back together. In that time, Sasha bonded so closely with my Mom that I thought it best to leave her with them when Mike & I got our own place. It was a good move...Sash made it to 19. However, that didn't match the lifespan of Gidgie. Gidgie just came up out from the woods in our back yard one day when my parents, brother and I (I was still in high school at the time) were sitting in the backyard and apparently looked around and thought "yup, I think I like it here". My mom didn't really want another cat, but said that if it was still there the next morning, we'd look after it while seeing if we could find the owner (never did). When we woke up the next morning, the kitty was still sitting on the back steps. Basically she showed up and never left. Must've been something about us that agreed with her. She hung out with my folks for almost 21 years.

[Beebs52]

Ooh. We were lucky to have Lucky the Black Cat for 17 years. Even though they're totally decrepit at that point, it's sad to see them go.

[Sisyphean Fan]

My Chloe will be 19 in a few months, although she might be older than that. My vet said she couldn't be much more than 6 months or so when I got her, but she was very small and malnourished at the time.

She had been mistreated by her 'owners' and beaten up by other cats in the trailer park where my brother lived. So he rescued her, gave her to me and she's been living the life of Riley ever since.

[Rexer25]

This isn't the Lost thread?

[Beebs52]

He's the first cat I know of who lived to 20 years old.

He definitely lived a long, full, and happy life.

The longest-lived kitty I myself have had made it to 14. Friskie is 13 years old this year, so we are hopeful he will break Scooter's longevity record.

My parents, however, had much better luck with a couple of feline pals. Sasha actually started off with me and my first wife. When we split, my son and I moved in with Mom & Dad for a few months until I could get our lives back together. In that time, Sasha bonded so closely with my Mom that I thought it best to leave her with them when Mike & I got our own place. It was a good move...Sash made it to 19. However, that didn't match the lifespan of Gidgie. Gidgie just came up out from the woods in our back yard one day when my parents, brother and I (I was still in high school at the time) were sitting in the backyard and apparently looked around and thought "yup, I think I like it here". My mom didn't really want another cat, but said that if it was still there the next morning, we'd look after it while seeing if we could find the owner (never did). When we woke up the next morning, the kitty was still sitting on the back steps. Basically she showed up and never left. Must've been something about us that agreed with her. She hung out with my folks for almost 21 years.

Curious, what kind of cat was Sash? And what kind was Gidgie?

I ask because our Lucky cat was a black domestic shorthair, mutt cat. I think mutt cats are more able to withstand life itsownself better than many purebreds. We had a cameo Persian that lived 10 years and had some problems, digestive and skin-related, although his demise was due to straying away and getting into stuff. I just think basic cat-cats are hardier.

[MarkBarrett]

Regis had a cat, Ashley, who lived to be 19 or 20. Tribute on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7E7css_he4

[silvercamaro]

My Sammy Cat lived beyond 27-1/2. The last months of her life were spent in the shadow of Rusty, the greyhound, who became her friend and protector, and who let her share his doggie bed. Those were, I believe, some of the best months of her long life.

She looked like her mother, a purebred Siamese, but her daddy was part Manx.

[littlebeast13]

Fluffy made it 12 years, which is amazing given that she not only gave birth to countless litters of kittens, but spent most of her life as an outdoor cat (My mom hated cats and still does), and was given to us by a neighbor kid so young that we honestly didn't think she'd survive the night. She was the only Beast family pet (and we had many of them) to even see her 7th birthday until my namesake came along, and by the end of the year he will overtake Fluffy's longevity record....

I never even dreamed cats could survive for 2 decades....

lb13

[secondchance]

We drove out to L.A. from the midwest in 1982. Emmy was about a year old then, and we made her a comfortable bed in the back seat, and a litter box from a large shoebox. We have photos of her on a leash at the Grand Canyon - cute. She died several years ago at the age of 22. Her L.A. born pals Boney Butt died a few years later at age 19, and Little One followed at 17. Turnip (cuz she decided to just "turn up") is now the oldest of the 5 we have at present, being around age 15. We don't do anything special for them after the initial battery of shots as kittens, besides fixing them. Purina hard food and Friskies soft. And lots of love. We've been very lucky (well, except for Mouser of whom we found the bottom half on the front lawn - presumably from a coyote).

[T_Bone0806]

He's the first cat I know of who lived to 20 years old.

He definitely lived a long, full, and happy life.

The longest-lived kitty I myself have had made it to 14. Friskie is 13 years old this year, so we are hopeful he will break Scooter's longevity record.

My parents, however, had much better luck with a couple of feline pals. Sasha actually started off with me and my first wife. When we split, my son and I moved in with Mom & Dad for a few months until I could get our lives back together. In that time, Sasha bonded so closely with my Mom that I thought it best to leave her with them when Mike & I got our own place. It was a good move...Sash made it to 19. However, that didn't match the lifespan of Gidgie. Gidgie just came up out from the woods in our back yard one day when my parents, brother and I (I was still in high school at the time) were sitting in the backyard and apparently looked around and thought "yup, I think I like it here". My mom didn't really want another cat, but said that if it was still there the next morning, we'd look after it while seeing if we could find the owner (never did). When we woke up the next morning, the kitty was still sitting on the back steps. Basically she showed up and never left. Must've been something about us that agreed with her. She hung out with my folks for almost 21 years.

Curious, what kind of cat was Sash? And what kind was Gidgie?

I ask because our Lucky cat was a black domestic shorthair, mutt cat. I think mutt cats are more able to withstand life itsownself better than many purebreds. We had a cameo Persian that lived 10 years and had some problems, digestive and skin-related, although his demise was due to straying away and getting into stuff. I just think basic cat-cats are hardier.

Gidgie was a shorthair domestic, tiger cat who had markings like a rattlesnake..actualy, she was a Merv-type, as is our current baby of the family, Freya the warrior princess. Sasha, howwever, was a calico.

Clyde, my favorite all-time cat and bestest bud, only lasted 7 years. To this day I am royally pissed about that. He was a cross between Angora and Maine Coon.

[mellytu74]

I still have my Socks tee shirt from the DC CHerry Blossom festival.

Socks sitting on a branch of a cherry tree and sniffing, with a smile on his face.

"Socks inhales." it reads underneath.

The Late Norman cherished his pawtographed picture from Socks.

The Late Norman lived until he was 17. He died peacefully, under the bed, where he spent many blissful hours during his life. He slept most of the night sleeping with me. He also visited Nana TLAF the night before he died and slept in her bed for a while.

[Jeemie]

He's the first cat I know of who lived to 20 years old.

He definitely lived a long, full, and happy life.

My cat's 18, and just now is starting to show signs of slowing down (a little deaf and a little arthritis in her back legs).

[Bruce the Wonder Cat]

The former First Cat had throat cancer. He was 20

The Clintons Bid Farewell to Socks the Cat

20 years-- what a piker. I held out to 23, and probably could have gone longer, but it just wasn't fun anymore.

That jackass Wintergreen has gone and gotten himself another cat, Bainbridge the Bold, another tabby, although he is gray and I am orange. Seems to be an OK guy, he keeps the place straight, but I think he's a little dim-- doesn't seem to realize that they CUT OFF HIS NUTS!!!

Which I am think is some ethnic thing. The Wonder Child has been spending time working with The Lithuanians, who have a satellite TV installation business, and because most of them are not all that strong with English, they use the Wonder Child to help them in some of their communication.

Linas (a Lithuanian): Jeffrey. I have cat. I need help with something.
Wonder Child: Uh, sure, what's up?
Linas: I need take cat to SPCA, but I do not know what to say. How you say in English, 'Cut his balls off?' I do not think I should say that.

Foreigners... (the Wintergreens are half-Lithuanian).