| The Ziggy Page |
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New 22 May 1999, final update 19 Nov 1999
| The Ziggy Page |
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Ziggy is a seal-point Siamese, born in the spring of 1979, the runt and sole male of the litter. He was quite sickly when he first came to live with us, and during his initial visit to the veterinarian we were told that he probably would not last very long. Twenty years later...
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< Kitten in
a Basket So where's dinner? > |
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^ A real poser! < The King and I Shhhhh! > Photos scanned by Jim Crawford |
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...it is evident what a little tender, loving care can do!
Ziggy's primary household duties include performing olfactory checks on all items and personnel entering the house, testing all furniture and laps for napability, and helping "Mom" in the kitchen. His talent as a decorator is also evident in his influence of our color selection for the new living room carpet — a lovely hairball-brown.
He possesses a voice of aaaaaaawesomely Wagnerian quality and power — a natural-born "Ziegfried" if ever there was one — and he serenades the household regularly.
Ziggy has always been a very even-tempered and companionable fellow. He is affectionate, sociable, and very attached to his humans. Though often timid around strangers at first, curiosity usually gets the better of him and he makes "friends" fairly easily. Like most cats, Ziggy has a mischievous streak, and it has gotten him into serious trouble once or twice. Unlike most cats, he loves being cradled "baby style" and having his belly rubbed. For that matter, there is very little that Ziggy does not like having rubbed!
In his old age Ziggy has developed arthritis and is not as agile as he once was. He can no longer jump, but asks (politely, by tapping a leg) to be lifted into someone's lap. He has become forgetful; he will sometimes begin marching purposefully off, but then suddenly stop after a few paces, evidently no longer sure where he was headed or why. He has lost most of his hearing, but that has not diminished his enthusiasm for "singing." Despite the aggravations and discomforts of age, Ziggy has not become cranky and temperamental as many senior cats do. He still craves human attention as much as ever, and for us the feeling is mutual. We hope he'll be around a lot longer.
19 November 1999: Ziggy's health has been detriorating steadily over the past several months, due to gradual failure of his kidneys. Even so, he has maintained his even and affectionate disposition in spite of the increasing infirmities of age and the aggravations of his ailment. But yesterday his tired little body finally gave up the struggle and began to shut down. Ziggy went to sleep in the afternoon, and stirred but little last night and today. He died at 6:30 this evening, peacefully and at home, in the arms of the three of us who loved him. He will be deeply missed.
REQUIESCAT IN PACEM
ZIGGY
1979 - 1999
FAITHFUL COMPANION, COMFORTER, GUARDIAN OF OUR HOME, AND BELOVED MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY FOR TWENTY YEARS