Ichigo
Our Story
Ichigo was born in July of 2008. At the time I was stationed in Idaho at Mountain Home Air Force Base. There was a feral cat near my home that had multiple litters. Ichigo was from one of these litters. His early life was plagued with medical issues, including a broken hip, and a serious UTI. He ultimately recovered from these ailments. Through the rest of my military career, he was a constant companion and source of comfort, staying with my parents while I was on deployments. He was strictly a house cat, and was never let outside, and as a result he became extremely attached to me. Some would think my cat had the personality of a dog with how much affection he wanted from me or my parents (although he would hide if someone else was in the house. He was also extremely, loudly talkative; the only times he was quiet was when he was sleeping or eating. Then when he was around 12 he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Luckily, it was caught in time to be treated. Unluckily (for him) the treatment was a special thyroid cat food, which he had to stay on for the rest of his life. No treats, and no flavor since the food only had 1 type. Even so, he kept his youthful energy and appearance. Even the vet was surprised at his age, saying he looked like a much younger cat. And then around the age of 16, he was diagnosed with a tumor near his eye by his nose, which could not be operated on due to the location. I tried treating it with steroids hoping it would not grow, but the inevitable happened.
I noticed he gradually lost his coordination and ability to walk, so I took him to the vet who confirmed my fears: the tumor cells had made their way into his other organs, and everything was shutting down. She gave him 3 days. I took him home and made him comfortable while I waited for the horrible outcome. I decided to let him eat whatever he wanted in those final days. 7 days later I made the excruciating decision to have him put to sleep after I found him sprawled on the floor of the hallway (where he stayed after I brought him to the litterbox since he could not walk anymore) crying softly as if in pain.
Ichigo had been with me for nearly 20 years, through most of my military career, through happy times, and difficult times, and various moves. He was my baby, companion, and a comfort for my heart and soul. And on June 2, 2026, at the age of 17, one month shy of his 18th birthday, I had to let him go. I know his passing was peaceful, and he is not in pain anymore, but I will never forget, and I will always miss and love and Ichigo, who brought so much joy and meaning to my life.
