R.I.P. Lancelot

We bought him the spiked collar to butch him up a bit...

August 18th, 2008

Lance ? - August 17, 2008

We've had Lance, a creampoint Siamese cat in our lives since 2002. Lance was adopted. When we told him, he didn't take the news well. He was a bitchy, whiny cat who was always mouthing off, as anyone who has ever owned a Siamese cat will know. He was also the most affectionate and loving cat. He would sit on my lap and use my forearm as his pillow. He would sleep each night snuggled up in a ball in William's armpit. He traveled all the way from Chicago with us and lived in Kolkata for a year. He hated change, and certainly did not like Gurgaon at all. He especially hated our servant who at that time was living in our new apartment. Will didn't like him much either. There was a bad vibe to the house - still is, but at that point, we'd only been in the apartment for two months.

Late August 16th, Lance decided to sneak out the door in the evening and wasn't discovered missing until the next morning. We searched the house and then Will went downstairs to see if anyone had seen him. He found Lance slumped over having been attacked by a stray dog. Will raced back upstairs with the broken bundle of fur covered in blood. Two people in the elevator asked us what was wrong. After we told them, they drove us to a nearby vet who said he needed surgery at an animal hospital.

I knew there was no hope, but I thought that somehow, if I tried everything, he'd be okay. We held vigil for him, each of us holding him in our arms until he finally succumbed to his injuries around 3:30 AM Monday morning. As I watched the light leave his eyes, he mewed two more times, and then it was over.

After he died, we wrapped him in a sari and took him back to the animal hospital. They also have an animal shelter there. He is buried in their Garden of Eternal Dreams, where he is surrounded by dragonflies (his favorite snack), peacocks on mended wings, rabbits, donkeys, cows and other cats and dogs. While we were waiting during his operation, a German woman, a volunteer, stayed around his giving us puppies to hold and showed us around the place. It really is a wonder that a place like this exists, especially in India where the concept of pets is completely different. It's a good place for him. We miss him so very much.

Farewell, Lance, our little soldier, our intensely beautiful blue eyed angel, our deeply affectionate companion. You are still, even four months later, so very, very missed.