Parker -- April 10, 2010 – July 20, 2023

 

He had many aliases -- Parker Puss, Parker the Puss, Parker the Poo, Parker P. Pussycat, Parky Puss, Parks, Mr. Squeak – but his real name was simply Parker, named after Spider-Man's secret identity because he climbed up the walls and just about everything else during his first days in his forever home. At the pet store where we found him, we first saw his litter-mate Indy and thought he was really cute, but then I saw Parker and he was absolutely gorgeous. I said that to Louise, and she agreed. Hours later, they were both in our home and our hearts. I wanted Parker to be “my” cat, and Louise wanted Indy to be hers, but they had the opposite idea and Parker spent nearly every evening for the next 13 years nestled contentedly in Louise's lap. They adored each other.

While Indy is outgoing and likes to meet people, Parker was shy and hesitant. Very few lucky people ever experienced a Parker sighting. When company visited, he would hide away in one of his many hiding spots, occasionally zooming through the living room and checking over his shoulder at whomever had dared enter his house before seeking cover again. We called it “a Parker drive-by.” We always had the sense that he wanted to be with everyone, but just couldn't bring himself to do it, and that saddened us, but made us feel all the luckier that our beautiful big boy let us become part of his tribe. 

 He was a gentle spirit with a kooky sense of humour. For many years, he never meowed. We started to wonder if he even could. But one day, we heard this tiny squeak and it was Parker finally figuring out how to meow. He never developed a full-throated meow like Indy, but his squeaky meow was so endearing that it always melted our hearts. Even at 4 in the morning. 

 He was the most affectionate pussy cat we've ever met. He was always ready for a snuggle and would work his way into the crook of your arm and lay his head on your shoulder, bringing up a paw as if trying to hug you and purr his little heart out. He had a purr so loud that it was surely picked up by local seismographs as it made the ground shake in sympathetic vibration. 

Every night, even when he was very sick, he would climb onto the bed between Louise and myself and purr us to sleep. When he thought we were asleep, in his younger years he would jump off the bed and run around for an hour. In his later years, he would snuggle in at our feet. Then, every morning he would purr us awake, as he did on the day we said goodbye. 

 He is survived by his litter-mate Indy and his two people. We are all heartbroken and miss him so much. 

 Parker and Indy were rescue cats, the offspring of a feral mother, and they had a hard start in life. We thank the fine folks at Dee's Orphan Kitten Fund for rescuing them, and the staff at McKenzie Veterinary Services for fostering them and providing medical care from their earliest days and looking after Parker in his latter days. We are forever grateful that we could spend these years with Parker, and we can never thank you enough.