Curiousity Killed the Cat

Literally.

Our cat Rico has always been a scavenger -- he will eat anything he can find.  Yesterday, he paid the ultimate price for that "hobby".  Somehow he managed to find one of those sticky felt pads you put on the bottom of chairs -- and like the small-brained animal he was -- he tried to eat it.  There was obviously enough stickiness left on the pad to lodge parts of it in his throat and he choked to death.

At least that's what I surmised based on the following facts:

1.  He was young and although a little plump, otherwise healthy
2.  He was lying lifeless on the floor when I came home yesterday afternoon
3.  When James lifted his body into a box for the "final trip" to the vet, there were parts of the chair pad underneath him.

I've watched enough CSI to put it all together.

But I also know because I paid for an autopsy.  (Just kidding -- he was just a cat!!!).  I did however, spring for the $45 for the vet to cremate him instead of just burying him in Fish Creek Park.  This had more to do with timing than anything else -- I wanted the body gone, and James was only able to come home briefly in between patients -- dinner had to be made, homework needing doing, and we had 2 basketball practises and a work dinner meeting that night....

(...I think you can from that just how deep our cat love runs...)

Anyway, it was a bit of a shock -- but now everyone's minds are filled with thoughts of a new kitten.

Except I woke up this morning, took a look at Lola (the remaining cat) and thought -- "yeah, I'm good with one".  I also had the brief thought "One down, one to go"  but then I repented.

So RIP Rico -- you were a great playmate to the kids.