The Rainbow Bridge

December 27, 2016

Hobi was a black barn cat. He came to us as a 12 week old kitten back in 1998. We brought him home and absorbed him easily into our family of four plus an old grey tabby named Fierce. Hobi was BIG. He quickly grew to a whopping 22 pounds. His head was huge and his raven coat was thick. Hobi loved the outdoors so he was an inside/outside kitty for over a dozen years until he got too old to fight off the younger kitties in the neighborhood. He never left our yard but he guarded our borders and kept us safe from undesirable visitors. He looked tough but he was a big softy, the sweetest cat on earth!

Hobi's favorite perch when he could go outdoors

Silly Hobi

Hobi & Fierce

Hobi loved to cuddle. Every night, he would find his way to my side of the bed and snuggle up to Dave, ruthlessly nudging him to beg for attention. When I went to bed, I’d croon to him, asking that he make room for me. He would try his best to make himself small, as if I wouldn’t notice that there was no room for me at the inn; my spot overflowing with a ball of fur. With much encouragement, Hobi would finally slink to the end of the bed and nest by my feet. In the morning, we’d find him wedged between us, stretched out as long as he could make himself so he’d fit in the tiny space. Often, he’d sit on Dave’s chest and gently touch his face to tickle him awake for a morning meal.

A young Hobi with a young David

Hobi & David

Brielle & Hobi

Hobi was so big that he developed fat globuals. We were terrified that these lumps were a sign of cancer. Instead, our vet told us Hobi was just a fat cat! We bought him healthier food and managed his meals on a schedule and the globuals went away. Five years ago, we brought Dory home to keep Hobi company. Fierce had passed several years earlier and Hobi had become an indoor kitty. He needed a friend to keep him active and take away the boredom of living inside. Dory was our Princess which made Hobi our Prince. It took a while, but Hobi and Dory became fast friends.

Dory & Hobi in our bed

Hobi at his best

When we left Minnesota on our cruising adventure, Hobi and Dory stayed behind with our son, David. His updates were filled with happy stories of our fur babies who also lived with Jess, our son’s rescue pup. Everyone seemed happy. On our visit home for the holidays we could see that Hobi was failing. Our once robust fat cat is now an old man. He struggles with every aspect of his day. Helping him over the Rainbow Bridge is our final gift to this wonderful boy who has been with us for almost 20 years. It is not an easy decision. We cannot imagine a world without our Hobi. Yet, we cannot watch him deteriorate further just because it will hurt to let him go!

With great sadness, we said goodbye to our sweet old boy today! He was so much more than a big black barn cat. He was our Hobi! As he peacefully slipped away, I whispered, “Run, Hobi, run! You can go outside now sweet Prince. We love you! We’re going to miss you, Buddy!”

Our sweet Hobi with Brielle on Christmas 2016