In memorium: Leon Mordechai Groseph ? April 2003- 11 December 2008

You were 2 weeks old the first time we met,

Walking like a drunk, your ears still flat.

You scared me that first day, me not knowing cats,

So you became my dog as easy as that.

Many moments of calm whilst I tried to pee,

You’d jump on my lap and dig your claws into my knees.

Waiting in the sink in the morning, water on your head,

Dripped down your nose, filtered by your fur, but there was no lead.

You ate no fish, meat or fowl, refusing Thanksgiving inards,

I can’t understand why you weren’t any thinner

Hummous, vanilla ice cream, salted butter, chicken croquettes,

The plant that you loved but could never quite get

Fur black as pitch, with white roots and near invisible stripes,

Always so calm, never having a gripe

Suzanne came along and took your spot on my lap,

But you always head butted me for a midnight nap.

And then came poor Roger, your sworn enemy,

He became your companion, but never sharing me.

Under the covers at night, settling in the craddle of my arm,

You purred and dug with your breath all warm

Suckling my arm while spooning at night,

I rubbed your fat belly, your claws like mini knives

Leon the Peon, I’ll miss you my friend,

Thank you my Pooperface and see you again.

The inner Leon

If you were an animal, what would you be?

But have you ever asked your animal what kind of person they’d be? I’m sure I’m not the only one who has imagined what a beloved pet would be like and look like in human form.
When I was a kid, I was scared to get undressed in front of my dog Brownie because I believed there was a little man inside her operating her like a marionette. I got over that, but still think of my pets as people…but different.
So when Leon’s human form came to me in a dream the other night, I was happy to be able to talk to him. I was happy to know his human form. But I was surprised because never would I have thought that my beautiful, tall, black cat with thick dark fur was a middle aged balding man who liked to play soccer because I imagined Leon’s human form to be more a dark-silent type. Tall, thick head of hair, nice shoulders, athletic build. Kind of like Jake Ryan in Sixteen Candles. Now, you might believe that this is my subconscious telling me the obvious and preparing me to put him to sleep or you might believe that this is indeed Leon’s human form that came to me as Leon’s days come to an end. Whatever you believe about life, death and all the rest of it, I do think that Leon and I have a very special connection and no matter what form “he appeared” to me, it was a way for me to say goodbye to him.