El Diablo Rojo: 2008-2010

Today has been a very sad and depressing one, as it saw us lose our second cat in just over a week, but this time it was totally unexpected.I was woken up by Jayne saying I need to get up because it looks like someone has run Rojo over.   Sure enough, as I came out of the house there she was with him in her arms, blood round his mouth and no signs of life at all.

He was not very old, only about 18 months, but I like to think he enjoyed those 18 months.  As any regular readers will know I was quite besotted with him.  Every time I came home from work I would shout out “where’s my boy?” and Jayne always pointed out to me that my face would light up whenever he came into the room.

Over the last couple of days he has been getting used to the kitten and they have been playing with each other.  Only last night he discovered a new favourite toy – a paper Primark carrier bag.  He was climbing into it and sticking his head out, while Chiquita ran around the bag swiping at him. Just before I went to bed I rescued the bag and folded it.

The idea was to save it for today so I could film them playing together, but it turned out that I didn’t see him today, except to bury him by his favourite bush.  Truly it broke my heart to see him in that hole, still wearing his little West Ham collar. The consolation is that it must have been a very sudden death.

Little Chiquita is going to miss having a playmate but I can’t go through all this again so I’ll have to keep her entertained and hope we have no other friends who just happen to have an irresistable kitten on the housing list.