All That Was Roger - A Tribute to My Best Friend

07/27/2009
The music was done by me, yes I know I have no musical talent... It was just me being really sporatic and crazy and creative... It made me laugh a little when I listened to it again.. And I needed something to keep my mind off the current video.. Oh well I failed at that, hence the upload right?

This is a tribute to my best friend, who was just adopted over the weekend, or maybe this morning for all I know. Roger was a one-of-a-kind cat who I just couldn't help falling in love with. If volunteering at the shelter has taught me anything, it is that you will love, and you will lose more than you ever wanted to. I don't do this for money.. I don't do this to be a "hero" ... I don't do it for the publicity and popularity, however much I may have gotten over the last 7 months. I volunteer for the cats for the love of them all. And Roger caught my heart like no other cat has managed to.

The first time I met him, he was not a nice guy. He was 5 months old, trapped somewhere out in the middle of April, brought in and thrown in a cage. There he would sit, in the back of this cage, until someone would walk by... Then he would stare at them, as if daring them to come any closer. Some tried.. They got hissed at in return. I tried.. I got hissed at, but I was not about to let that deter me. I reached for him, and he came out of his little hole and let me pet him a little... But as soon as I tried to pick him up to pull out of his cage, he bit me. At this point I was like, uhm okay.... Worth it? Something held me there, however... And when he turned around to head back to his hole, I grabbed him and didn't let him try to bite me again. I successfully got him down to the bench and set him on my lap.. Of course he tried to run off, but I was holding him. I held him like that for nearly 30 minutes, talking softly to him, petting him gently, showing him that there was nothing to be angry about... Nothing to be mean for. An hour later, he started purring, and I knew right then that he could be saved. I went to the shelter every day for three weeks just to see him and socialize with him a little more, and he eventually got to know me so well he was expecting me every day. And I was still the only one he would allow to touch him. The vet tech of the shelter and I attempted to clean him up a bit, as he had a bit of poo hanging off his backside.. He wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with that, and bit us both! We put him back in his cage that night, and he was fine the next day.. In fact, the next day, he started something he never quit to the last day I saw him... He loved licking my face. Particularly, my lips. He would do this until such time that he was satisfied to just lay down and relax. Which he got quite content with doing on my lap.

Then, he started getting sick.. I knew it before anyone did, because he was acting a little slow.. And about an hour later, started to sneeze. He was at the Anchorage Animal Shelter for only one more day... Then Friends of Pets stepped in, and took him away. To this day, everyone in that shelter believes I'm the only reason he got that opportunity, to survive and possibly be quickly adopted out, rather than be put down due to aggresiveness. But it wasn't to be, as about a month later, I found out he had fully recovered from the kennel cold, and was being held at the Southside Animal Hospital, which was right down the road from my place! It was a dream come true, I was going to see Roger again!!! And so I did.. And he remembered me like I had just been there every day since he left. No change, except FoP cleaned him up REALLY nice, trimmed his claws (not declawed, just trimmed!!), had him neutered, the whole nine yards. We were so happy to see each other! Each time I stopped by, he got more and more friendly, and the receptionists at the hospital started allowing me to take him out of the cage to play. I found out, he absolutely loves laser pointers and chicken treats, and had a newfound love for catnip pillows! And the one thing I absolutely loved about him.. He would still love to lick all around my face.. Purring the whole time. I would have done anything for him. I was ready to move out; I cleaned out my room to prepare to take him in; I tried my very best to get my parents to say yes, I could have him... It was all for nothing. I did so much, for no ultimate gain. I couldn't move out, I had no job, still don't, there's no way I could support myself alone, much less him too. There was nothing I could do. This past Friday, I spent about three hours with him at the hospital. Today, I walked in.. The cage was gone. I knew it before I even asked the receptionist... I knew he was gone. Sure enough, he has been adopted. I don't know anything past this point... So I'm going to leave it at that. There's no more to say.



I love you, Roger.. Be good for your new forever parents! I hope they treat you as well as I did.....

Category:

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• AK49BWL

[lismichelle86]

This cat looks exactly like my little guy Tiger. Was Roger part Maine Coon?

[AK49BWL]

@lismichelle86 I would personally have believed he was ALL Maine Coon lol. But probably just part :)

[abjuron]

That story is so sad and heartwarming...I'm sorry for your loss, but happy for Roger's gain of trust in humans because of you.

Roger reminds me of my own orange long-hair, Sylo. He always cries out in upset tones for seemingly no reason, and after three years in my care, still attacks me randomly sometimes. I think he was damaged by the 6 months of his infancy he was kept in a dark basement by a cruel breeder, with no human or feline interaction...Roger probably endured something similar...

[AK49BWL]

@abjuron I dunno, but that is terrible! Hopefully that "breeder" can't do that anymore...

[katelynn1900]

umm so he died thats so sad but if he dint umm wtf

[AK49BWL]

@katelynn1900 What? Have you never lost a close friend, not necessarily by death? Trust me, it feels just as bad, if not worse because I know he's out there still and I don't know where he is or how he's living.

[flymunkay]

Brandon, You are one in a million,you saved his life truly-Not only Roger but many,many cats. t- Our beautiful girl Leda(Smokie) is the queen of our household. We adopted her on 6/18 and can't imagine life without her. She brings us such joy. She still goes Laser crazy! She will skid into the walls full blast after it ,we will do a video of it and post so you can see. it is hillarious! Keep up the wonderful work, you are a special,spiritual young man,a St Francis of our times-Jan

[Anniski]

****crying****

[MaryEdythe]

I aam disabled, unable to work. My father did not like animals. My mother did. She made the sacrifice. So did I when volunteering at the shelter I found a cat I loved. I had a second opportunity when I found an older man whose two cats I took care of during the day, a domestic white longhair and a calico. Both were strays. The man took them off the street. I had somewhere to go and two friends and a small payment. When the man died I could not take the cats. His sister took them to the shelter.

[darkultra]

Heh you might be his first love too. If you taught him he could trust humans by taking him out of his cage and on your lap, you might have made him more easily adopted and not have to sleep in/put out (if they do that with animals no-one will have).

It was a happy ending for me since he was adopted and not put to sleep, i hope his new owners adore him :)

[fireice2037]

Well its good to know he loves you. And he he probably being loved now! You were good for taking care of him. keep up the good work!

[creativeforce11]

Beautiful and lovely

[prepies123]

Shit....im a guy and i red the description....i cried ....seriously..

i know how it is....Dont give up....i feel sorry ...

Love to roger