I Love My Sweet Pea

How do you measure the effect an animal companion has had on your life? My beloved Sweet Pea, companion of 18 years, passed away on June 26, less than a week ago as I’m writing this.

I’m still expecting him to walk up to me and bump my leg, meow at me each time I come home or he wants some food, insert himself between me and whatever is occupying my attention at the moment (computer, book, TV, iPhone). The only time he hasn’t been a constant presence with me is when I’ve been traveling, and even then I have missed both him and Buddy Boy and always looked forward to coming home to them.

Now he has moved out of my sight, away from my physical touch. Oh, how I miss touching him! But he was, and continues to be, much more than a physical presence. For me, he embodied love, joy, perseverence. He was mischievious, interested, kind.

People always ask me how he got his name. (“Sweet Pea’s a boy?”) Here’s the story. I had recently lost a cat and had space for another. It was February, though, not a good time to find one as the big kitten crop happens in the spring. So I wasn’t really expecting to find one. But I had a remaining cat to take care of and so was shopping in a PetSmart. Lo and behold, in the front of the store, some people from the animal shelter had some cages. This scraggly, scrawny black and white kitten–the only one they had left–was so ugly he was cute. When I reached for him, he crawled up my arm to my shoulders and eventually to my head. I couldn’t stop laughing! He was meowing and purring all at once.

I decided he had to come home with me. Once there, he calmed down a bit. He did not like to be held (never got over that; he tolerated it for about 10 seconds and then wanted down), but he loved to sit in my lap or on my chest, or anywhere close to me. Early on, he very gently reached out a paw and touched my face (never got over that, either, I’m happy to say). That was so sweet that he became my Sweet Pea.

In compiling the pictures below, I realized two things. First, they start when he and Buddy Boy were nine years old, in 2003. Before that, I was using film, so who knows where those pictures might be?

I also see that all of the pictures I have of my cats are of them at rest. I guess that makes sense. I can’t take pictures when I’m playing with them! But Sweet Pea loved to play with feathers on the end of a string, or anything that moved. He would chase his target from the floor to the couch, to the back of the couch, then over the back of the couch, and then back again. His leaps were fabulous!

He also like to just tear around the house after some imagined something or other. He’d be sitting in one place and then with a quick mew, take off for the other end of the house, scattering rugs in his wake. He was such fun to watch.

And then, he was there with me in the bathroom every morning and evening as I got ready for work or for bed. He had learned how to drink from the faucet, so he insisted I run the water for him–and oh, if I could sneak in around him, I could just manage to brush my teeth or wash my face, too. Sometimes I ran the water in both sinks so while he used one, I could use the other…until he came over and claimed the one where I was! 🙂

He was just fun to hang out with, period.

Eighteen years is a lot of history to have with anything: a person, a pet, even a job. I’m so grateful he’s been in my life. I’m also grateful to have Buddy Boy still with me. We’re both adjusting to our daily routine without Sweet Pea. We’ll be OK, and I know Sweet Pea is still hanging out, tearing around his new world with joy. My hugs now have to be mental, but they’re certainly no less real because of that.

The pictures are chronological, starting with the boys when they were nine. The last one, of Sweet Pea in one of his favorite places–draped over my legs–was taken on Saturday, June 23. Sweet Pea seemed fine, though a little subdued. He passed away three days later, with me tight by his side.

I miss you… and I love you, Sweet Pea!