Dexter the Cat RIP 2003(?) - 2024

I will tell the story of Dexter the cat. Dexter was an outdoor cat that just appeared on our lawn in 2009. He was a rather large orange cat who, while very friendly, did not want to be touched much less coaxed into the house where it was safe and warm.

 

Resigned to the fact that our shy friend Dexter may be hanging around all winter, we made a cat house on the porch with three straw bales. What was amazing was that he "got" what it was and would sleep in it. 

Here he is: Dexter yawns as we bring him food in his hay house:

S l o w l y coming out for kibbles:

A rousing shake of the head to begin the day:

Dexter, this shy, stray cat, was, finally, thanks to my wife singing tunes to him (Dexter is a sucker for "A Little Bit in Love" by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Comden & Greene from the Broadway show Wonderful Town.), lured into the house and down the stairs to the basement. (To be honest, there was a lot of deli meat and treats laid out on the steps.) He was, from then on, our house cat. Safe and sound, and out of the cold weather and away from wolves, fisher cats and hunters.

And he never wanted to go back out again. 

The vet guessed at his age then. He said he was maybe 6 years old in 2009.

Here he is. This is just 18 hours in to being the new "house cat." You can see he took to it well. 

 

From ten years ago today, February 8, 2013:
 

Riding out the snow storm lounging in bed ...

Rufus and Dexter. One from Red Hook, Brooklyn, the other from New Hampshire. Both used to be abandoned kitties, both now have a home. And they are pals.

He was a wonderful member of the family for fifteen years.

Dexter caught a serious chronic cold that beginning about three years ago. The cold would come and go. We tried a lot of things, and then in June 2022, we decided he had to have an operation to remove his teeth. That helped tremendously, and he lived on in comfort and love until 2am last night when no steroid or pill would help any more. We drove him in the dark to the 24 hour emergency vet's and this big, strong maybe twenty year old orange gentleman we love so much was put peacefully put to sleep in our arms.

A terrible sad day. Many happy memories. I am glad he shared his life with us. I wish it could have been even longer.