The Legend of Emmett

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France

Emmett was a Russian Blue (mix) we adopted from the local Humane Society shelter. He and his twin brother Elmo (a tiger tabby) were about 8 weeks old when we picked them up. I'll save the explanation for how a Russian Blue and a Tiger Tabby can be twins for a later post. Once we got the new kittens home there were the usual kitten issues with diet, litter box location and bed space. These were all sorted out in the first few months.

At the time we also had two older cats. These older guys had some territory issues but those were resolved in short order also. Emmett was the peacemaker of the group and could usually find a way to calm the older cats. When he couldn't, though, he waded into the confrontation with the older boys. But he never took an aggressive posture toward the other cats. They at times were rough on Emmett but he never complained. Master cat that he was, he stuck with it until all was calm again.

One of his favorite things to do was curl up with one of the other cats in the same bed. Typically he would wait until the other cat was asleep or nearly asleep. Then he would approach slowly and curl into whatever remaining space there was in the single bed. Sometimes the other cat would try to rough him up but he patiently waited, took bites to the ears or face, and eventually wound up sleeping two cats to a bed. (Emmett’s on the right-hand side of the bed in the picture below. Notice too there are three other beds available. But Emmett slept better snuggled up against another cat.)

One of his favorite things was fresh laundry. As soon as he heard the dryer door close – and it’s impossible to close it quietly enough so he couldn’t hear – Emmett would come running and follow me to wherever I put the laundry down. Something about the warmth, fabric and smell of fresh laundry found its way into his being. It didn’t matter what time of day or night, or if he was sleeping or playing, when the laundry was done Emmett was there, meowing at full voice.

Like many other cats Emmett loved to play with and in empty boxes. And it didn’t matter what size the box either. As soon as the box was empty, he was first in. Sometimes his brother or one of the older cats would get in the same box, or simply come by and look at the box and Emmett. One of the benefits of this pandemic and on how much we stay at home was the use of home delivery. Prior to the pandemic we might get a home delivery once a month. But during and after the pandemic, home delivery is at least once per week and often more like daily. Emmett’s playground expanded dramatically with new boxes every day or every week.

A note about Russian Blue cats here. They were first identified from the port of Arkhangelsk in Russia, or often referred to in English as the port of Archangel. You will sometimes hear this breed called the Archangel Cat as well as Russian Blue. According to the Catholic Church’s current interpretation and belief, the Archangels are “to be an inspiration for human beings and the catalysts of divine grace for them.” (https://www.holyart.com/blog/saints-and-blessed/archangels-who-are-they-and-what-is-their-function/)

Emmett was truly a legend in that regard and true to his heritage as a Russian Blue. Let me try to explain a bit further.

Russian Blue cats are known to have a sweet temperament, good hunting skills and always ready for play. They are known to be loyal too and once they get to know you, they will remember you. These cats are vocal as well and are not shy to talk to you to let you know they need something.

Emmett was always first cat at the door when company came over for a visit. The other cats would scatter in three different directions and find a hiding place. But Emmett had to see who it was. If it was someone he’d met before, then he demanded attention. If it was someone he hadn’t met yet, no matter. He would talk and meow until he got hands-on attention from whoever it was. I can’t count all the service people – A/C repair, yard crew, etc. – who knew Emmett. Over the past dozen years he’s met every one of them.

If family came over that was even better! Emmett would meow and walk back and forth in front of them until he got petted and talked to. It didn’t matter how the human conversation started, Emmett was persistent. And he was so sweet, it was always a pleasure for whoever he wanted attention from. In that way he was a “catalyst of divine grace” amongst his human admirers.

Sadly I have to say that Emmett left us on the 13th of September. But even when he went to the Animal Hospital when he first started to get sick, all the techs and doctors loved on him. I heard that one of the techs threatened to put Emmett in his pocket and sneak him out of the hospital during lunch break. I would say that’s typical for Emmett, he was everyone’s friend.

Before he left this earth, though, Emmett continued to inspire. We had to move recently but Emmett was fond of exploring his new home and with a simple grace, experiencing whatever was going on. (I forgot to mention earlier that his brother Elmo passed in 2019 and one of the older cats left in 2020, and my wife passed in early 2021. For the move, it was me and two cats, the older Russian Blue named Wesley, and Emmett.)

These cats have always been indoor and indoor only cats. For some time, though, my wife and I had talked about finding a way for them to be outside, if only for a brief time so they could get fresh air and hear the outdoors.

At our new digs, we’re on the second floor and have a private balcony. So to honor my wife’s wishes and make it possible for the cats to be outside, I put mesh netting around the rails of the balcony. This way they could be outdoors but not be able to push through between the railings or fall off the balcony. Once he got a taste of being outdoors, Emmett preferred to be out there on the balcony.

There was always something to watch too. When we first moved in there were starlings up from Mexico. They would fly by the porch at regular intervals, usually in groups of 5-10 at a time. Emmett’s eyes would follow them back and forth. None of them got too close or landed on the balcony so he was content to just watch.

The other thing he liked to watch was all the car traffic. The balcony sits over the key road in and out of the complex. Traffic is usually light, but there are cars going by in both directions several times each hour. Emmett’s head would come up and watch them go by. He liked to sit or lay on the bottom shelf of the workbench you can see in the photo. Looking out through the railings gave him the perfect view of traffic down below.

Occasionally a human walking a dog would wander by as well. That piqued his interest but for some reason seemed to be less interesting than the car traffic.

And if he was inside, you could usually find him at the patio door looking out checking on birds or car traffic.

After a couple of months, Emmett started to get sick. We went to the hospital and had several bad teeth removed, and I honestly thought that would help. He was better for a few days and could eat and drink as usual. The other thing about Russian Blue cats you should know is that they really – and I mean REALLY – love meal time.

Emmett was never too picky, I hear some cats are. It didn’t matter. Whatever wound up on the plate, Emmett would eat. And, when possible, he would wait for the older boys to finish then go clean up their plates as well.

But after he started to get sick, his appetite fell off and eventually he quit drinking water as well. The downhill slide only lasted a few days too, after the operation on his teeth. To this day I don’t understand exactly what happened – some obstruction in his mouth, change in water when we moved, the emotional challenges of moving, losing my wife… something. At this point, Emmett was almost 12 years old. It’s reported that Blue Russians typically last 10-15 years so perhaps it was only natural causes from age. I don’t know.

At the end, Emmett was still the Master Cat. I know he didn’t feel well and could barely move, but he left me with a few laughs before he exited completely. I went out for a family event and was gone several hours. When I returned, I looked all over the apartment, in all his usual resting or hiding places. Even the new container he found to curl up in a few days before.

He wasn’t feeling good, and he knew that the older cat couldn’t bother him on the shelf like this.

But I looked everywhere, I thought. And I could not find Emmett anywhere. Then I was in the bathroom washing my hands, and I heard a sneeze behind the shower curtain. Laughing out loud I pulled the curtain back a little and looked. There he was, waiting for me to find him. As soon as I saw him, he started his meow talking to me, or lecturing me, not sure which.

Finally Emmett got so weak, even though I was feeding him with a syringe and liquid cat food; he could barely hold his head up, couldn’t walk around and only slept. I could tell he was cold so I kept him wrapped in a towel or blanket in his favorite chair.

On his final day on this earth, the 13th we spent the morning together. And for his final view of the new place, I held him on my chest sitting outside on the balcony. He heard cars go by and could see that bottom shelf of the workbench, and tried to move over there. So I wrapped him up and laid him on the shelf, letting him watch cars and birds for his final hours. He could barely hold his head up but I knew he was watching, he loved that so much.

Then we made that last trip to the Animal Hospital where the good doctors helped Emmett pass. In his weakened state, the doctor said he wouldn’t last very long after the injection. She used her stethoscope to check, and looked me saying, “Oh. He’s already gone.” Then she left the room to give me a few final moments to say goodbye.

Maybe Emmett was already gone, but true to his nature, he saved a final goodbye for me too. After a few minutes, after I looked him in the eyes and told him I would see him later, he gave a final soft sneeze, as if to say, “Yes, see you later.” True to his nature, Emmett was indeed a Master Cat and will remain a legend to those of us who knew him.

“Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” – Max Holloway

To preserve the legend, and as a tribute to Emmett the Master Cat, I made this small ink on leather design (couldn't find any car outlines I liked).

I write independently for no other reason than I would rather get these ideas and words out. Better out than in, especially for mourning and to express my grief. My audience is decided by you so if you enjoyed this piece and think it could be useful further I would love for you to share it.

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