Blinky memorial

Today marks 12 years since we sadly had to say goodbye, to my very sweet first Persian fur baby Blinky (October 13 2002 - April 12 2012). He was just the sweetest, most loving cat I ever had - not even my gray tux boy Smokey (? 1985 - April 16 1997) could come close, with his 'surrogate mom' role to three of my other past cats!

Blinky was taken ill immediately after we learned of the Street Fighter X Tekken obscenity, indeed adding to my pain at Balrog's cruel words and, yes, my opposition of Vega X Balrog shipping (shitting?) - his skinniness was no mere 'old man thing' (he was 9, and would have been 10 in Hsien-Ko Month), like initially thought! Since the alarm was raised, he spent the weekend at the vet... and upon discharge, just to be safe the vet placed him with my parents, until the vet felt it'd be okay for me to have him again - but yes, I was allowed to babysit him while my parents were at work. On one of my babysitting days, Soma (this was during his stint as my Facebook bodyguard) posted on Facebook, to say he'd heard about Blinky going to the vet and asking what happened and was it anything to be worried about.

We hoped he would get better, including with the medical care detailed at his follow-up vet appointment yes on Jay's birthday that year, and at the appointment yes I was allowed to have him - and his medical care wasn't the only topic of the day, with the arrival of my signed photo of Jay as Vega! But he grew steadily weaker over the coming few weeks, including to develop the same symptom which has killed some of my other cats. I even became increasingly reluctant to leave my apartment, including to find an initial frame for the Jay photo, and even more so on Easter.

He had another episode just after Easter, but upon taking care of it I ran out of disinfectant - luckily, my parents hadn't yet left for the caravan (that day, they were going to the caravan we then owned, and were planning to spend a few days there), so mom immediately agreed to get me a new bottle of disinfectant and wouldn't let me pay her back for it, what with the worries for Blinky, as well as to check on Blinky. At first, mom decided to take him in again, this time until he fully recovered - and even to take him with her and dad, to our caravan. Mom says he was cool with it, even as she and dad took a detour to Telford to buy dad's new motorbike.

We also planned, that I would join them all on the Saturday... then we'd all go home together, and on the way call for dinner at the bison ranch seen in some of my old airing photos...

...But sadly, obviously that trip had to be called off. I phoned my dad on that sad Thursday morning... and he calmly said mom and Blinky were coming home, sounding as if nothing was wrong. Thinking my parents decided that Blinky would recover better at home than at the caravan, I simply went on with my day.

I was just taking a bath, and I'd just put my shampoo in... when mom arrived, telling me to come and have a cuddle with Blinky. I told her I couldn't come right now, I'd just put my shampoo in - so she said "Forget your hair, and come and have a cuddle with your cat!" - so I picked up a towel, and wrapped it around me as I got out... and as mom handed Blinky to me, she explained that he wasn't doing too well, and "I think it's his last day..." . Oh no, I knew it'd come to this! I asked mom what had happened, she said he'd had another episode. I held him for a few minutes, before mom sadly took him away; and I did phone dad to say mom explained why she came home early, as well as of course to make the sad announcement here and on Facebook, before getting washed and dressed so I could go into town and tell my friends there (and, yes, have a bit of retail therapy).

I called at my parents' house the next day, mom was there along with Donut Lord, despite his usual asshole self he was very sorry to hear about Blinky. I asked mom what exactly had happened, why did that episode in purrticular cause her to make the hard decision - she explained, that she and dad realised Blinky's symptoms meant that his body was shutting down on him. I also said, best if I myself don't have any more Persians - much as I love them... the brushing is one thing, but I couldn't bear any more Persians we might have meeting this same sad end, and (as was indeed sadly the case...) I already feared such could be the case for Raul. I do realise that ragdoll cats are part-Persian, but most if not all lack a need for brushing (including my two ragdoll baby girls, Sapphire and Jasmine).

And yes, mom did indeed take Blinky's final photos. That's another thing my family usually does - we take a cat's final photos, if there's even a chance that Ryu will have to dedicate his fight to them. Some of these can be found in the Pet Gallery, including some of Jenny's final photos.

Raul really pined for Blinky, he was running all over my apartment, crying and looking for him - so after two days, I couldn't wait any longer... and on the day when I was meant to go to the caravan, we welcomed Mel (who was my family's third tabby, and the cat we lost in Balrog Bashing Month 2019) into the family. Blissfully unaware of the truth, yes I named the kitty after a certain Ken fan who used to visit here (I thought of the kitty as our baby together) - and he certainly had his evil namesake's cheeky charm in him, too Laughing

; and Raul absolutely doted on baby Mel, I have an old picture of them curled up together...

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Altaria