Harvey, The Dude

Erika got Harvey after her first year of college.  Her friend, Simon, had a batch of kittens at his house and gave one to Erika to take to college with her since she was moving into a house with some of the softball girls that I knew.  Harvey didn’t have a name for a while but Erika picked one that suited him well.  She taught him how to go on walks with leashes, he laid on the bathroom floor because it kept him cool and he walked around like he wore high heels.  He loved going outside, playing with Jonas and jumping on my cat Calvin, just because he could.  Harvey loved to drink running water.

He has had several surgeries because of some of the cat fights or bites he’s gotten and has been to the vet several times throughout his life for one thing or another.  When we got back from our trip to Bend, mom and dad noticed he wasn’t looking very good and was very lethargic.  Jonas wasn't looking very good either.  Mom scheduled a vet visit for Friday so they could get checked out.

I don't get cell service on my phone in my building plus I had no idea the cats were going to the vet that Friday.  When I left work sometimes my phone takes a little while to find enough service to give me my text messages and voicemails.  I carpooled that day and I was the passenger.  When my phone found services and I got all of my text messages I received four, they were from a group message my dad sent to me, Doug and Erika.  When I read them I instantly became very upset.  Dad said Harvey had to be put to sleep because he ingested antifreeze.  I was so mad I couldn't even talk.  My family knows better not to keep antifreeze out because we've had pets our whole lives so I knew it wasn't any of us.  That leaves our ignorant neighbors.  Why in the world did someone have their antifreeze out?  It's god damn summer!  The worst part I thought of was Harvey was at the vet, probably scared and he would die there.  He would probably have no idea why he was there and why he would go to sleep and never wake up.  Dad made it even sadder by telling us that even hours after they injected him he was still purring.  I was having such a hard time I would never get to see him alive again.

I told Ben the situation and as soon as I got home I headed over to mom and dad's house to help dad dig a hole in the yard to bury him.  It was so hard to keep it together and not cry.  I helped mom make dinner and joined them outside at the table.   We tried to not talk about it because you knew everyone was very emotional about it.  Dad had the worst job by making the decision to put him to sleep and then watch him die.  It just wasn't his time to die and I could not get past that.  I was so angry at the neighbors because I knew it was one of them.

We went out to the front yard with the tools and wheel barrow and started digging.  I went to the back yard to get a rock so we could mark it.  We dug it deep enough so nothing would be able to get at him.  Dad had him resting in the back of the blue truck and would check on him every hour or so.  He came back and told me he was still faintly purring.  I didn't think it was right to bury him while he was still purring.  It was getting dark and I told them I needed to go so I could get some stuff done at home.  I was exhausted and the fact that Harvey was dead killed me.  

Before I left I said goodbye to Harvey one more time.  It was really hard to muster up the courage to go pet him before I left to go home.  I petted him, told him we were sorry this happened to him and that I would miss him.  I left by saying, love you Harvs and walked to my Escape to go home.  Once I was in the Escape I could not hold it any longer and cried.  I cried all the way to my house.  I was so mad that someone took our cat away for no reason!

I knew every time I went back to the house and didn't see him I would have a hard time with it.  Harvey was a great cat with personality and I will miss him.  He was taken from us too soon.

Next Adventure:  Last Minute Trip To Reno/Carson City, Nevada