Feline Friday – #68 – farewell to Pharoah

July 7, 2017 by RMW 27 Comments

It never gets easier to say goodbye to beloved companions. Pharoah came to live with us in 2005 at six months old. He was a feral cat born at a truck stop in Fresno. The truck driver brought him to Los Angeles in the hope he would find a good home. I was told that at that young age he had already been fostered, adopted and rejected several times.

He was born with an autoimmune disease quite common with feral cats. It affected his entire body but manifested itself in his right eye. I won’t go into all the gory details but he had health problems all his life. I knew he wouldn’t live to a ripe old age.

But he made it to thirteen years old.

He was named Pharoah because at the time I was studying Egyptian history and his favorite pose was an Egyptian sphinx. He was also the color of the Sahara Desert sand. So it all fit.

As a frightened feral feline he more or less lived under the rocking chair in the bedroom for the first three weeks.

But as he became more secure and ventured out into the vast realm of the house, he soon found some favorite places to rest and nap. He seemed to have an affinity for flowers and plants and would often pose next to them.

Can you find the cat in the photo above? Look carefully! That’s Pharoah peeking over the planter. That was a favorite spot for watching the neighborhood to make sure all was well.

Pharoah was a master of disguise. In the above photo he is blending into the planters on the deck. Do you see him?

Pharoah was able to nap in the strangest places. I would often find him sleeping with his head hanging down or a leg straddling the furniture… but I guess he was comfortable!

But his favorite place of all was on the pillows on the loveseat by the living room window. I could always count on him to be there in the afternoon.

Although Pharoah loved breakfast and dinner, his favorite snack in between meals was wheat and barley grass. I grow it for my own green drink. But don’t worry, I don’t share… the cats get the second growth.

Like all my cats it was in his contract that he had to help out in the office. Turned out his talent was filing despite not being able to read.

And now, sweet Pharoah has ridden off into his final sunset. He passed away peacefully at home under the rocking chair, his safe place, on Sunday morning.

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