by Chuck Gates
(Little Rock AR)

 

 

He meeoowed at my door 10 years ago. I gave him some ham and water. A women took him home with her, but brought him back 1 week later and I heard the same meeoow at my door again. I let him in and fed him and gave him water.

He let me check him for ticks, and I picked 20-30 off his belly, but he was very cool about it. I took him to the vet for cat vaccines and to be neutered. He got sick a few days later, though, and the vet said he had a parasite in his blood. After a few days, I took him home with me and the vet said he gave him a 10% chance to live. Because of how I took care of him, he pulled through it. I sang to him about how he was such a good boy. I think that helped a lot and sang to him a lot.

I found out that he belonged to someone down the street but he never went back to them. He knew I was taking care of him. He was very loving and warm. He loved sleeping beside me. He loved prowling at night and bringing me things home and putting them on the porch. He even brought a live bird in the house, and boy, it was a joy.

He was a very happy feline friend. He loved getting on the roof of the house to sleep and look around. We were best friends. He loved sleeping on my feet. I was his, and he was my sunshine, he was my starlight.

We moved to a different house last year on 9-9-11 and lived very close to a busy road. There are 3 acres of woods behind the house, and I hoped he would only prowl that at night, because the busy road is in front with a 1/8 patch of trees on the other side. But me giving him total freedom is the cause of his death on 5-30-12. He loved his night time freedom.

Bandit, I will miss you forever and you will always be in my heart.

On 6/17/2012, Bandit's dad added the above picture and wrote the following:

Bandit, he was my best friend. He was always there for me. If I was gone 5 minutes or 5 hours, he would run and greet me with a happy rub on my legs and feet.

BANDIT loved to get on the roof of the house and the 2 houses next to us. BANDIT was always glad to see me as I was him. BANDIT showed me true love and happiness. BANDIT was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I felt like I was the happiest person on the planet.

We first met in 2002. I heard a meeooww at the door, and there was a very young handsome solid black long hair feline. He came in, ate some ham and water. A person there took him home with her, but a week later he was at the door again. I knew BANDIT was gift from God.

He let me do a tick check, and I picked off 20-30. Later, I took him to the vet for shots & neuter. He did fine. But a week later, he was sick. The vet said there were parasites in the blood because of all those ticks.

After a few days, the vet sent him home. With meds & love he pulled through. I sang to him a lot. Later, the vet said he gave bandit a 10% chance.

I found out he belonged to somebody down the street, but he never went back to them. BANDIT was a in-outside feline - he loved his nighttime freedom and I gave it to him.

09/09/11 BANDIT and I moved to a different house, 2-3 acres of woods in back and a small front yard with a busy street. I had hoped he would do his nighttime prowling out back. He did fine with the move.

If I'm ever blessed with another feline, I will never let him out at night. BANDIT was my first feline friend.

BANDIT you were the greatest.