RIP Bandit - We'll miss you.

Bandit

Right now I'm very glad that I have so few followers on my blog. At a time like this, I don't really want to talk to people, but I'll share with the few of you. I'm heartbroken to say that we lost our beloved Bandit today. He came to us a few short months ago as an abandoned stray. He had only one good eye and was still a tom. We welcomed him in and spared no expense getting him inoculated up to the eyebrows against anything that could hurt him and getting him fixed so that he wouldn't roam and risk getting injured. We were determined to give this homeless boy a good, long life.

He was quite adamant about wanting to remain an outside cat, so he slept outside in a large garden pot of catnip and spent the day stretched out on the doormat in front of the house. He refused to move for anyone or any reason. Since the door swung out above his head, we learned to step over him if we wanted in or out. He learned to duck.

I checked on Bandit before I went to bed last night, and he was comfortably asleep in his catnip garden bed. This morning he wasn't by his food dish on the porch. I was very concerned because a.) Bandit NEVER missed a meal, and b.) Bandit never left the front porch except to follow us wherever we went outside. I had to leave for work, so I shrugged off my misgivings and headed out. When I got ready to turn off of our dirt road onto the old highway, I saw something in the road about a fifth of a mile from our house. Apparently, Bandit had gone for a late night walk  and was hit by a car. I'm beyond heartbroken. I would have kept him in the house (even against his will!) if I had thought for one moment that he would wander out to the road. He NEVER left the property. The only reasonable explanation that I can think of is that he may have gotten chased by the neighbor's tom cat.

My husband and I are not the only ones who are going to miss this rather crusty one-eyed Bandit. Sinbad was delighted to have another male on the premises (four sisters would drive any little boy-kitty up the wall!). He would spend hours just gazing out the window or the door at his buddy outside. The boys shared a room inside quite comfortably (the girls really didn't like Bandit) when it was too cold for Bandit to be outside. Sinbad would beg to go outside so that he could sit by his friend on the front porch (Sinbad must wear a collar and leash when he is outside because we know that likes to explore off the the property). I'm sorry Sinbad. I'm going to miss him too.

Rest in peace, Bandit. I love you,

Momma