S'mores wandered into our yard and into our hearts in August of 2010. Where did he come from? Did he belong to anyone? How long had he been out on his own? What should we do? Should we keep him? With such a sweet face and "interesting" meow, how could we not keep him, how could we not love him? Thankfully, Tory made sure we did the right thing and after a few days on the back deck and a trip to the vet on August 13, he became an official member of our family and took his place inside with his brother Daisy. (One more reason August 13 is a special day for our family.) And his name? Well, Tory first named him Doug (what?? the "banging on a trash can" Doug??), then Curry (so we would have Daisy and Curry, my grandparents' names), but he ultimately decided that with those beautiful brown, beige and cream colors, he looked just like a toasty marshmallow, a chocolate bar, and graham crackers...S'mores, a perfect name!
Daisy and S'mores...now that was always an interesting relationship. The vet said Daisy would "tolerate" his new resident, and he did for the most part. But what about those times when he would swat passively at S'mores or block his food bowl while he was eating or stand on the stairs so S'mores couldn't go up...very mischievous (or perhaps malicious?). Anyway, they were actually good buddies for the most part. They put up with being dressed up for Christmas together every year...the neck tie, the sweater, the reindeer, the elf collar...they were good sports with it all. But they especially loved to lay under the Christmas tree together, and we loved watching them enjoy the beauty of that sacred season.
When we found him, S'mores already had many health problems, but he never complained. Kidney problems, arthritis, loosing his teeth. He just kept right on loving others and "living the life". A few times his health was so bad that we feared we might lose him, but Lisa learned how to give him IVs and medicines, and each time he bounced back, giving him a reputation as the "invincible cat".
S'mores was an "old soul"...and an old cat by the time we found him. Dr. Justis estimated him at 11 years old in 2010, putting his birth year around 1999. But he was likely older, don't you think? And although we can't know for sure, we like to think of him maybe being born in 1996, maybe even in March like his best friend. We even heard a speculative theory that maybe he was one of the three Nephites. Whatever the case, he was very old, which earned him another nickname, the "crusty cat".
Siamese cats have a reputation of being aggressive (thanks to Walt Disney's "The Aristocats"). Well, S'mores completely shattered that myth. He was the most gentle, loving, sweet, kind, obedient creature any of us had ever seen. Hmm, well there was that time when his new cousin Abe, a feisty hyper kitten, annoyed him to the point that S'mores put him in a head lock. That move was so quick and graceful that we then theorized that S'mores must have had ancient Buddist Monk training in the martial arts.
S'mores really had it made in his later years. His life was more like living at a retirement resort than anything else. His long, lazy summer days on the back deck "Cabana" eating his Fancy Feast soft food (remember - not many teeth), relaxing on his green sofa chair (his throne?), sitting with Tory watching TV on the upstairs couch, being the center of attention at every gathering. In fact, unlike most anti-social cats, S'mores was the consummate "social butterfly". The more people the better. He soaked up the attention and was especially a favorite of little children. He wanted to be in the middle of the action, and he definitely "worked the crowd". He was happiest when he was with others, especially when he was right next to someone else, touching them. He taught us a lot about the importance of affection, closeness, and connections - things we will never forget.
S'mores was a "spiritual cat" too. He never missed family prayer, always getting in the circle. He was always so happy to sit quietly with us during family time. But he had his bedtime too. It was not uncommon for him to go to the top of the stairs around 9pm and call loudly for his roommate in that hoarse, weird, but lovable voice.
When his body finally began to give out and his health deteriorated even further, S'mores could no longer do what he loved most. He somehow knew it was time to go home. He certainly missed his best friend too, and they say that animals sense great loss when special people are gone. In fact, S'mores came into our lives at an important time. It was a time when his best friend was watching his beloved siblings leave home, one by one. It was as if S'mores was sent as an answer to prayer to be a loyal friend to help fill a void. We could have lost S'mores many times due to his heath, but he hung on. Once his best friend was gone, he could hang on no longer, but by then his mission was done.
Daisy honored his friend this week by sleeping twice in the big green chair, something he never does. Zach called S'mores a "charitable cat", and that he was. God created all living creatures to "fill the measure of their creation" and "have joy therein". S'mores experienced an abundance of joy in the time he was with us. But he gave even more joy to us. And he filled the measure and purpose of his creation beautifully.
Yes, S'mores was a "grateful cat", but his family is even more grateful to have had him in their life. As Lisa said, one day we will see him again with a perfect body, all of his teeth, and fresh breath. Until then, we will remember the many wonderful moments we shared together and how he touched our lives.
Thank you S'mores Page - we love you and you will be missed!
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