So long Deuters...

Our favorite Deuteronomy passed away today. We think Paul killed him...just kidding. Actually, we think he had cancer...or heart disease...or thyroid problems...or diabetes...maybe we should have taken him for a vet visit. Anyways, he had been losing a lot of weight over the last month. We were concerned, but he was also acting happier than he had in years. A little proof of how obesity and lethargy go hand in hand.

Some of our favorite memories...

When Paul and I first brought him home 13 years ago he was lean and mean. He used to lay under our kitchen table and wait for me to pass him. Then he would lunge after me and attack my legs.

I thought I would be the crazy cat lady and take my cats for a walk. I bought harnesses for Daisy and Deuteronomy. When we (Paul knew it was a crazy idea) attempted to put it on him he flipped out, literally! I had no idea a cat could maneuver like he did. After several minutes of trying to get him calmed down Paul finally threw a rug over him and tackled him. There were blood splatters everywhere. That was the end of that great idea.

When Josh had started crawling he followed Deuteronomy up the stairs. Soon after Paul and I heard the thunk, thunk of Josh tumbling down 13 steep stairs. After checking Josh out I was comforted to find Deuters right there with us.

The time Paige sat at the kitchen table and cut off his whiskers.

We had a routine at night. He knew I had to have my feet out of the covers. So I pull up the covers on the corner and he would sleep in the little triangle that was left.

As soon as I woke up he would slowly work his way into good petting position. Unfortunately with his weight it felt like daggers stepping on me. Then he would scoot himself as close as possible before he would lay down.

The destruction he caused to our couch because he was so heavy (at least 22 lbs.)
The shock when people saw how huge he was, a gentle giant. He would have been a perfect addition to one of the traveling carnival shows.

Sometimes I would find him curled up in Seth's bed on the pillow. I remember one night in particular when Seth didn't want to bug him but he wanted to go to sleep. I listened in as Seth tried very nicely to explain to him why he needed to move.

We tried a few times to put him on "diet." He was so pathetic he would lay next to his food bowl all day and wait for food. When he would get food in his bowl he would continue to lay next to his bowl and scoop the food out with his paw and then lick it off of the floor.

He had an obsession with water. We could not keep water in a bowl anywhere without him tipping it over. If there was a cup with liquid in it on the table he would tip that over. We had a few homework assignments that had to dry out. We learned over the years to keep glasses off of the table, but Marianne didn't learn until he spilled a glass of milk on her new camera.

He also loved to take a shower. More than once I would walk into my bedroom and hear a kid in the shower laughing because he would be in the shower with them.

I will also miss the sound of him walking down the hall. He was big enough that many times I could not tell if it were him or a kid coming.

I think she misses him the most. They had a love-hate relationship. They would sit next to each other and lick and each other and inevitably they would end up fighting.