Bat Man

A little under 3 years ago, Robbin and I bought a house in Wilmington. After a few days in the house,

we discovered something that came with the house

that wasn't advertised: Bat Man the cat.

Ol' Bat Man quickly made herself at home with

our other kids, JuneBug, Beettle Juice and Tom Tom.

She did establish herself as the Queen quickly, though.

We never knew where she came from but we quickly

realized that we had scored big time: Bat Man was an

awesome cat! She (yeah....'she'..) 'talked' in many

different tones, she snuggled like nobody's business,

and loved her some milk.

Bat Man coming in on a warm day.....

Bat Man was a scrappy cat. She was a bit 'high maintenance'. We had to take her to the vet and have some surgeries done periodically, but she always rebounded. Within a day or so, she was back to waking us up in the middle of the night, talking to us, especially Robbin, telling us in her many 'tongues' what was on her mind....sometimes with the accompanyment of of bite or a touch on your lips with her paw. She was never at a loss for words.

Bat Man 'high stepping' thru the kitchen.... When we were watching TV, Batty (one of her many nicknames: Bat Bats being another common one...), she'd waltz into the room and 'wave' to us as she entered. No shit, she'd wave. When she was placed on the bar stool, she'd get all cocky and swat at us...playing, of course. When she was napping, she liked to press her forehead against something, whether an arm or a wall. Most times, you could find her in the daytime, spread out on the living room floor, under foot, in her own little world. As long as you played by her rules, things would be okay. Her rules weren't hard to follow.

She loved catnip. Whenever she heard the 'cling' of the catnip jar being opened, she ran like a fiend to the roomwhere the sound eminated from. She was protective of us. Whenever she heard aggressive sounds, she came running, ready to protect her Mom and Dad. An ideal day in the world of 'Bat Bats' would probably consist of waking up to cat treats (she liked 'Temptations Creamy Dairy Flavor'....), chasing June Bugs for a bit, then going outside for a sunny cat nap on her deck. Then she'd wake up, more treats, some milk, and a romp around the house (..she'd chase me around the house as if we were playing tag...). Then Tv time, lay on her back on the floor, spread out, until bedtime. Then go to bed, tell Mom about her day and go to sleep, after pawing at Mom's face. Most days were like this. I am fortunate enough to say this. Batty was a gift...we often say she 'came with the house' much like someone would speak of a hot tub or something like that. We got the better deal. We scored.

Last spring, we put a few water features in our backyard. Alongside these, we built a free standing deck. Bat Man declared this area her own. Many a day (...night...morning...) you could find her in the chair to the right, taking a cat nap. This became her domain.

Bat Man on her deck.......

Bat Man laying in the sun.......

Today, I had to have Bat Man put down. She had developed a tumor which was hendering her breathing and she was struggling to enjoy life. I would've given anything to keep her around, she made our lives rich. On of the best cats I've ever had...if not the best. She made our life better.

I guess we have nothing to regret. We always kept her up-to-date on her vacines, regardless of our financial situation. She always had treats. She had run of the place. We always expressed love to her. She had a good life with us. You just hate to see it end but that's how things go. We did our best and I know that she knew we loved her more than life itself. RIP, Batty......you were the best companion. We love you..........

Enjoy your rest and I'll save the chair on the right for you, Batty, we'll remember.....