Sean's life

My Dear Friends,Last week was not a good week. Myself I had a nasty fall hurting my head and ribs. But I lost my lovely cat, died of illness and old age.I wrote his life-story in order to overcome my grief.

God bless John Heijnen

The life of Sean the cat

About thirteen years ago I was born under the bed of John. After a weekend away he woke up and he heard me cry, picked me up and put me in a fine box with a little blanket. But my mother put me back under the bed. John said that was not the best place and I was back in the box. Mother took me to the lounge and I settled on the couch. John said "No, I get visitors and they always sit on the couch". Back to the box. That’s how my life started in an old house in Kenepuru Drive, Porirua NZ.
Another John made a nice flap opening in the backdoor. Mother taught me how to jump through it. The first time I got caught half way and fell on the floor. Every beginning has a problem.
Not long after that a cousin, a black cat, jumped through. So three of us were living in John’s house.
When Blackie and I were big enough John took Mother to the Vet to have her spayed. A family of three was big enough. Then it was my turn. But after an hour the Vet rang and told John that I was not a girl. "OK, John said, and in that case I bring Blackie and another five dollars and every one is fixed."
We were happy together for a while when Mother thought that the two "teenagers" were too difficult and went back to the farm where she came from.
John got many visitors and we behaved well when they were in side. A woman called Bella picked me up and put me on her lap. I liked that; nice and warm.
One day, when John was away for a weekend Michael looked after us. But he was away during the day. I caught a bird and took it inside. It flew around when I let it go. Catching it again was quite a job. Feathers everywhere. A total mess. Michael was wild, so I said "Sorry". I was actually a good hunter. Mice were not quick enough. I took one to John. He picked up the mouse by its tail and threw it into a bush. Within second I had it back inside.
After seven years, April 1993, John was shifting to another flat in Plimmerton. He put me in a cardboard box and went via Paramata road and Graysroad (because there was an accident on the Paramata Esplanade) to his new, nice and warm flat. But I had to stay for two days inside to get used to the place. After pleading loudly I was allowed outside. That was on a Monday morning. When John came home in the dark I was waiting outside because I was hungry.
Blackie managed to be caught by John and I never saw him again.
John fed me very well, nice meat from a tin and pellets from a box. At lunchtime he gave me a bit of toast with butter. Very nice whether on the floor or on the table. I didn’t like peanut butter
A couple of days after Christmas, while sleeping on the bed with John, I heard
a noise on the deck. I jumped up and woke John, switched on the light and went to the lounge. There we saw a man inside who threatened to kill John with a
screwdriver. He got closer to John who asked, What do you want?" "Money" he said. John went back to the bedroom and gave the invader the money and a credit card. The intruder asked the pin-number. I knew that John made it up.
The invader said that if the number were wrong he would come back. He pulled the phone in the lounge and in the bedroom off the wall and said to John, Go to bed". "You go first," John said. And that what happened. John called the police on the phone in the study. They were there in minutes, asked a lot of questions and said, "Do you want to ring other people?" "No" said John. I want to go to bed". The police left, John had a whisky and went to bed. I followed. What A fright!!!
Next night I heard the same noise. This time we very softly without the light on went to the lounge and saw the vertical blinds in front of the door were moving. The door was a jar. Suddenly John pushed the door shut. It was the wind that made the blinds to move, and not another intruder. Both of us were shaking with fear. To make sure I looked through door-lap whether some body was there. I didn’t see anything. John said, " I told you". Back to bed. It took quite awhile to sleep. John called me a Watch-cat". He is right.
Since that shocking experience I had a peaceful time. John went twice overseas while the neighbours called Shirley and Colleen catered me for. The last one was the best cause she brushed me with very soft brush.
John also had visitors from Holland. One was his brother Fons who give me some very delicious food. When John celebrated a jubilee his nieces and nephews spoiled me very day.
I liked to watch the young family next door with a little girl called Lucina and her baby brother Liam.
I also knew when John was coming home because I recognised the sound of his car. I didn’t like the noise of the vacuum cleaner, of thunder and fire works. I had to go outside what was going on.
John ‘s deck was a quite place to sleep in the sun and out of the wind. But I felt safe and at home when John was reading a book. No trouble to sit on his lap. But when he was sitting in front of his computer I had to be careful. Once I walked over the keyboard. Gone was his sermon. Sitting on the printer was usually allowed. He showed me off to his brother in Holland when he was skyping with him.
I preferred to sleep on one particular place for ten days only. Then I found another place, always comfortably. John gave me, like I said, good food, three times a day, in a tray on the kitchen floor. Fresh water always next to the tap. He taught me to drink directly from the tap, especially the one in the bathroom.
Last week John had a fall outside the door, hurting his head and ribs. The neighbours looked after him until the ambulance came. Late in the day he was back resting in the lounge. While I was sitting on his lap I didn’t feel well either. For a few days I couldn’t like eating. Drinking was all right. Outside the weather was awful. In the middle of the night I got home soaking wet and cold. I woke up John. In his wardrobe I found a dark spot, but in the morning I felt very ill. So John took me to the vet who said that I had not long to live. I felt sorry for John. He has been very good all the thirteen years of my life. We were good companions to each other. He has been my lovely friend. Thank you John. My life is up. 21 May 2009, 4.13 PM
Sean

PS.
Dear friends
I received a nice sympathy card from the vet:
"Dear John,
Our thoughts are with you this time after the loss of your beloved friend Sean.
I really enjoyed hearing your stories of Sean especially of how he proved his self to be a great ": guard-cat".
It has been many years since Sean appeared under your bed. I know that having been great companions through that time, it must seem very quiet at home without him. I hope his wonderful memory will remain in your heart.
Yours sincerely
From Dana and the staff of Rappaw Vets Paremta"

Dear Friends,
I am grateful to had Sean for so many years as a faithful friend, always there to be in my presence enjoying his attention, his touch and purr.

God bless
John Heijnen
27.05.09