Jaffa - Just Another Funny Furry Animal

A tribute to our third crew member

Jaffa, Just Another Funny Furry animal, or Just Another F***ing Funny Animal, was part of our life for the last four years since we rescued him from the RSPCA. A companion that loved us unconditionally, kept us smiling when things were glum and gave his human pets a reason to come home when they were on their own.

Unfortunately, the past week or so he had not been himself, he did not get up with the early riser to have his breakfast then retire to the bed to push the sleeping human out of his space, no more did he bound to the door as soon as he heard the car pull up to the driveway nor chase the skinks in the garden, nor did he come to annoy anyone in the kitchen in the forlorn hope they would give him some food, despite the full bowl of cat bikkies on the floor. We knew something was wrong, so it was off to the vet. He stoically sat there while he was poked, prodded, examined and pulled this way and that by the vet, even the dreaded thermometer did not evoke the flight response, simply a quickly raised head and wide open eyes!

The Vet said he looked anaemic and that he needed a couple of blood tests to confirm the diagnosis and that a couple of others may be required depending on the results of the first two tests. So we left him at the vet's surgery, sure that he would be coming home the next day with a course of drugs to fix the problem.

We rang the vet and were told that the first two tests had ruled out feline aids and a parasitic infection, but had confirmed a bone marrow disease, which although treatable, was not guaranteed to extend his life nor improve the quality of his remaining time with us. The additional tests were explained, what needed to be done and how much it was likely to cost, both for the test and the drugs, in the vet's words, even with the drug's Jaffa's "prognosis was poor". A decision was made that as much as we loved our four legged family member, we could not put him, nor us, through a protracted illness and declining quality of life only to have him die a slow and painfully lingering death.

We spoke to the vet and asked that he be quietly put to sleep. We attended the surgery, but were too distraught to stay for his final sleep. We instead spent quite a while with him in a consulting room, saying our goodbyes and getting covered in ginger and white fur while being massaged by the thunderous purrs for the final time.

So long S**t lips, Jaffa, Bloody Cat, friend and confidant, we will miss you.