Indy: April 10, 2010 - June 20, 2024

On their first night in their forever home, one of our new kittens climbed up the walls, and the other snuck up onto the dresser and stole some jewelry. The wall-climber we named Parker after Spider-Man, and the other we named Indiana after Indiana Jones. Over the years, he was called other things like Indy the Monkey, Monkey Face, Indiana J Pussycat, but the name that stuck was Indy. At the pet store where we found him, we thought he was really cute. His brother Parker was gorgeous, but Louise liked the little buttons of dark fur on Indy's belly, and his perpetual happy face. 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 while Parker spent nearly every evening for the next 13 years nestled contentedly in Louise's lap, Indy spent thousands of hours over the last 15 years nestled in mine. I think he may have permanently damaged my left knee from his weight being in my lap over the years, but the pain was worth every minute. There is no place on earth either of us would have rather been. 

Indy was a real character. He was easy-going and chill, but when he felt he had been wronged, like maybe you didn't give him enough treats or you ignored him when he was trying to get your attention, he would stomp off, his front legs bent like he was a little furry bulldog, slamming his paws onto the floor in frustration. It's hard to believe that a cat could make a whole house shake, but I assure you, he could make it happen. 

He was very empathic. If Louise or I was feeling down or a little under the weather, he would curl up next to us, resting his chin on us as if to say, “It's okay – I'm with you.” He would always reach out and rest his paw on us to let us know he was thinking of us. He did the same for Parker when he was ill. He lay down beside his brother and just reached a paw out, resting it on Parker's belly. He had such a big heart. 

We said goodbye to Indy this afternoon, and he left peacefully, nestled in his favourite lap. He had a number of health issues over the years and they all caught up to him this week. His big heart was giving out on him. But he never lost his perpetual happy smile. 

He was predeceased by his litter-mate Parker, and is survived by his heartbroken people. We miss him so much. He was the bestest cat. 

As we mourn Indy, and mourn again for Parker, we are sad, it’s been a tough time. Saying goodbye to Indy was not on our bingo card when we got up this morning. We knew that he wasn't well and our window of time with him was closing, but we didn't expect that it was going to slam shut so suddenly. We are gutted. But he was ailing, and he was telling us it was time to go, and we listened to him. They are gone now, but they are still here in our hearts. And in our broken hearts, Parker and Indy are curled up together, a furry bundle in a window, warmed by the sun, looking contentedly out over their domain, like the little furry lions they imagined themselves to be.

Indy and his brother 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 in their earliest days, and to the folks at Pacific Cat Clinic for looking after Indy in his latter years. We are forever grateful that we could spend these years with Indy and Parker and we can never thank you enough.