Axel (RIP)

Tang & Lulu

I am not a real cat person. I lean more toward the dog side of life! However, I have allowed two cats to reside in our home after we lost my oldest sons lifelong pet – Axel to old age at seventeen. They are not replacements really, just allowing the younger boys to have their own pets to raise like Darren did. It has been good for them.

These two are ok as far as cats go… Lulu may change me yet… but Tang reminds me a lot of Axel. Not just in the weight department, but personality a little too. Kind of cantankerous-like! Although, I don’t think any cat will come close to being like Axel. He was unique.

I had a love/hate relationship with Axel. And it was defiantly mutual. He was a big’ole boy! And when things didn’t go his way, he would attack. Not a gentle nibble or nudge, not even a little scratch or swat…but an all out shred-the-living-daylights-out-of-my-masters-mother attack. Ya, I said mother… cuz he never did attack Darren… only me. Jerk. The cat – not Darren.

Axel

I was hoodwinked into getting Axel in the first place. A friend of mine called from several hundred miles away and said that she wanted to give her “kitty” to Darren – who was almost three – because she was moving and couldn’t keep him. I told her – NO, but thanks! She said it was Darren’s birthday present and that he “needed” a pet. As a single mom… I disagreed. One more mouth to feed etc….

She insisted that Axel was not your average kitten. At nine months old, she said, he was really more like having a small dog than having a cat. Little did I know at the time what she meant.

We went to up at the Sacramento Airport – yes, she loved him so much she flew him up to us and shipped me all of his toys, bed, food, litter box etc…! (See? How could I say no. Plus, I am a sucker for animals and kids!) When we turned the animal crate around we were expecting to see a cute little kitten. But no, as we jump back, we realize that this must be the wrong crate! This “kitty” was huge! It turned out to really be Axel, and he weighed 15 lbs at just under 9 months. That seemed like a lot to me. Most cats I ever had growing up didn’t even make it to 15 lbs as adults! At his peak, later in life, Axel would top the scales at about 32lbs!

Bud & Axel 1992

Darren loved him and the two of them could often be found eating Dorito’s and watching cartoons together! Axel would even let Darren dress him up in old baby clothes with Mr. Potato-head glasses! That cat put up with three more kids over the years. He got a little bit short tempered with the last one, but still, he didn’t attack any of the boys like he did me. Jerk.

Bud & Axel 2002

He was beautiful though. I would have had him stuffed when he died if my husband didn’t think it such a gross and unnatural thing. I thought if they could stuff him with some type of gel or beanie type things… then I could just change his position every once in a while and it would be just like we still had him! Minus the litter box, the cat food and of course the hate-my-masters-mother attacks! Perfect way to own a cat in my opinion! But… my family called me sick and twisted and he was buried in the backyard.

(So sorry Sandy! She had to do it because he died while we were gone.)

My husband felt sure that if he lived long enough, Axel would learn how to talk and cuss us out when he got in a tude. We could already tell what he “wanted” to say… he just didn’t have the ability to form the words! Yet.

You know, I don’t even know where I am going with this. I guess maybe I am trying to get out my twisted feelings toward a cat that I had longer than I have had any pet ever. He was a trouper. Moved across the country? -four times. Near death? -at least seven times. Almost killed his master? -a bazillion times. (I’m kidding about almost dieing – but I do have lots of scars!) Survived a tornado? -once. (Very funny story!) And although we had a rough relationship, who was the only one that cried their eyes out when he died? Me.

Yep, Axel was a good ole’boy. He made one little boy very happy for many years! And taught this “dog lover” a thing or two about felines!

Thanks Axel. For all the times we locked horns… there were just as many good times. You were a good cat-devil-beast! I loved ya.

hi-d