I got Coach when he was 7 weeks old and I was 18 and a college freshman. On the way home he sat in my boyfriend's lap and cried like a real baby. When long-since-forgotten boyfriend put the cat on my lap, he stopped crying and started purring. Soon after, boyfriend wrote me a short story titled, Oedipuss.
He was the quintessential college pet - I remember kicking a guy out of a party when I caught him getting Coach high. Coach seemed cool with it all. Later, when I moved to Boston, my roommate and I would put a leash on him and take him to the park. He hated that.
He used to climb out the window of my later boyfriend's townhouse and go halfway around the development by jumping rooftop to rooftop. I had the faith in him that you have in things when you're not yet an adult.
A few times I would drive from Boston to Miami - straight through for 30 hours - and Coach was always my company. He would sit on my lap and put his paws on the wheel, causing my roommate to nickname him Tunsis.
I got Coach declawed back in the days when we didn't know how mean that was. I'll always feel guilty for that. He has lived the past few years with my parents in Florida because I was in NY for law school and couldn't have him in the University-owned apartments. My parents have a fenced in yard with a doggy door to the inside, so he would go out and sit in the sun all day. When I graduated law school and moved to San Francisco last year, I didn't have the heart to take my 13 year old cat away from his awesome Florida retirement, so he stayed with my parents. I got lonely out here, and last year I got two persian kittens - brothers & littermates who seem built of clouds and fur. Last time I was home Coach looked so different to me - not as pretty as the kittens, darker, I thought of a lizard for some reason when I looked at him. And I felt even guiltier. I will never get over that - it's like I replaced him with these newcomers. My baby.
I only make it home about twice a year, and Coach instantly starts following me all over the house. He goes right back to sleeping with me. He never got past the kitten habit of kneading the comforter right under my chin and sucking on the blanket. My 3 year old niece was visiting with my bro & his wife last year and my little niece decided that my name was Aunt Judy Kitty Cat because she thought the cat was always with me.
Last night I was sleeping at my new boyfriend's house, and I woke up in the middle of the night remembering the dream I just came out of. I was at home, and I was walking around the house looking for Coach. I couldn't find him anywhere. I kept asking my parents where he was, and they kept saying Maybe he's outside. Maybe he's under the table.
I'm still at work now - working late - and my mom just called. I told her about my dream and she got real quiet. Then she told me that Coach died yesterday. They were going to wait until the weekend to tell me because she knew I was having a really hard week at work. He died yesterday, and I dreamt of him last night. That means something, right?
I love you Coach. You were the best cat a girl could ever have, and I will remember you always. I am so sorry that I was not there for your last hours - and I am forever sorry that I was not the one to take you to the vet and stroke your beautiful smooth grey fur while you went to sleep for the last time.
RIP Coach - March 30, 1992 - August 3, 2005. I love you.