In Memoriam: Riley Houdini Messinger (2004–2005)
A week ago today, I woke up to find that during the night my cat had vomited at least five times in different places around the house. He saw the vet that morning, and she sent him home with some food for cats with irritable stomachs. That night, he started vomiting blood. He was admitted to the vet again at about 11:30 PM. By Friday morning, he was gone.
On an overcast evening last July, I was leaving the local Asian food market when I heard a tiny but insistent meowing from the vicinity of my feet. There lay an emaciated tabby kitten, looking up at me with big golden eyes. I reached down to pet him, and this simple act set him purring loudly. Clearly he was starved for attention as well as food. When he tried to come closer, I noticed that one of his hind legs was injured. He could barely stand on it, let alone walk in his weakened condition. I’ve never been a cat person, but I took him home and gave him food and water. He ate and drank until his little belly was bulging, then slept soundly.
For about a week I wasn’t sure that I would keep him, but he won me over little by little. He was uncommonly devoted and loving for a cat, and as he regained his strength he began to show more of his playful personality. I started visiting baby name web sites to look for a fitting name for him. I decided on Riley when I read that it meant “valiant” in Gaelic. That seemed appropriate for a kitten who had been through such an ordeal, yet still showed such indomitable spirit. He stayed in my bathroom for a short time, since I was afraid he’d get into something dangerous in the rest of the house. The kitchen was the first room to be “cat-proofed,” and he soon moved into there. He earned his middle name, Houdini, by displaying his uncanny ability to overcome all the makeshift barriers I put up to try and keep him confined to the kitchen. His injured leg didn’t slow him down a bit as he found his way under, around, and even over every obstacle I could put in his way. Needless to say, the rest of the house became cat-proof sooner rather than later. (more…)
