This Week at the Farm 3: Taj

January 27, 2020 1704 Views 49 Comments

This Week at the Farm 3: Taj

Hey there,

This week at the farm 3: Taj is coming at ya a day late because as the title implies it’s about my sweet kitty Taj who crossed the rainbow bridge Friday afternoon. It was a goodbye I’d never be ready for and as hard as it is to write these words our fur babies are a huge part of our lives, and I want to start documenting them more here on the journal. I also want to pay tribute to a friend I had the privilege of living with for 12 1/2 years.

Our Story

I am a huge animal lover, always have been since I was a little girl. And still today it would be a toss up whether I’ve always wanted to live on a farm for the farmhouse or the animals. All of our fur babes are family, but Taj was extra special.

You see, 12 1/2 years ago was a difficult time in my life. I was 20 years old. My dad had been fighting cancer for over 2 years, and I was in a very toxic relationship. At the end, my dad was undergoing treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. And on the day we had to let him go Taj was born.

Taj Cat

Taj’s mother belonged to my cousin’s cat. My cousin who had made the trip with me to Houston. We were laying in bed that night and she said something like, “I know you don’t care, but my cat had kittens” and showed me a picture on her phone. Then I said something like, “aww I’ve never had a cat inside, if there’s a boy I’ll take him”. I met Taj a few days later and at just 5 weeks old he came home with me.

Growing Up

He was so small he could fit in my shoe. He was so ornery he would climb my curtains like a squirrel! Lol! Taj brought me joy. He helped me heal in a way only an animal can. He was a constant light when there was so much darkness in my life.

He saw me out of that toxic relationship, which ended in divorce. He moved with me 5 times including the farmhouse. We grew up together and made the best memories in our favorite place – home. I took care of him when he was a baby and watched him grow into an adult, and then he passed me up.

My Meow Meow

He went by Taj, Tete, Tete meow meow, Taj-y, Taj Cat, and T. For 12 1/2 years he was the first to greet me at the door everyday. He loved ice cream and yogurt, a good box, sunshine, and any form of running water. He loved to play tag with me in the house. He would sleep on any blanket he could find. He was waiting for me in the bathroom every morning usually chillin in the sink lol! He would drink water with his paw life a raccoon. Sometimes he would sneak outside and give me a heart attack. He would “help” me make the bed every morning because he loved to play with the blankets as I did it. And up until his last night on earth he slept curled up next to me in bed.

Diagnosis

How poetic that cancer should take him. He was diagnosed with mouth cancer right before Christmas. A terminal diagnosis. I promised him I wouldn’t let him suffer. Watching him wither away as he ate less and slept more this past month was devastating. And last week I knew it was time.

Keeping My Promise

It was a gut feeling I woke up with Thursday morning. He probably would have made awhile longer, but I could see his quality of life fading and I never wanted him to suffer or get the point where he’d given up. Even thought I knew it was the right thing for him it was still the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.