Rizzo

Posted: August 2nd, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: | 3 Comments »

Rizzo_SweetGirl

A little more than 18 years ago, Rizzo showed up on our doorstep. She was already about a year old, with all the cautious suspicion of a stray. Slowly, with a combination of sweet talk and daily feeding, she let us get close. And then she let us pet her. And then she was at the screen door, meowing and demanding to be let in.

Oh, and she was pregnant. (Since she was knocked up, we would later name her Rizzo after the character from Grease.)

Sandy and I already had two cats, Peggy and Pancho, and weren’t about to take on a whole litter. We made this very clear to this undersized, cross-eyed Siamese mix.

“No, kitty!” we told her. “Go have your babies and then we’ll see.” As if she understood, she disappeared for a few weeks, only to come back no longer pregnant and looking up at us expectantly.

“OK, fine, but you’re a terrible mother” we said, opening the door for her. She trotted in and never tried to leave again.

Rizzo was a tough cat from the streets of Five Points in El Paso, and she was also the sweetest kitty ever, who wanted nothing more than to sit in your lap and purr with the resonance of an idling Harley. She was a friend, and she was our family. We will always love her, and we’ll never stop missing her; 18 years was more than we could have ever asked for. It still wasn’t enough.

We can’t deny 18 years is a long life for a cat, even for one that would eventually suffer from progressive renal failure. We know it wasn’t really her kidneys that got her — it was old age.

We know it was your time, Rizzorini, but just in case — the door is always open.


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3 Comments on “Rizzo”

  1. 1 Signal Watch said at 11:10 am on August 2nd, 2013:

    Man, so sorry to hear. A lovely tribute.

  2. 2 Scott S. said at 11:55 am on August 2nd, 2013:

    Aww, poor kitty. Many condolences — y’all sound like good kitty-parents…

  3. 3 Max Romero said at 9:11 am on August 6th, 2013:

    Thanks, guys – we really appreciate it.


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