Fritz the Cat

Fritz finally sits next to Dad

As Fritz the cat runs around the house, darting in and out of all the rooms during one of his "crazy" moments, I think about how much Dad loves that cat. I got Fritz when he was just old enough to be weened off his momma. He was two and a half months old, the tiniest little thing you ever saw. 

The first time Mom and Dad came to our house in South Paris Maine, Fritz was nowhere to be seen. He had never really been around strangers, so he hid, the moment he heard them enter the house. I had already told Dad all about him. Now there are dog people, cat people and the equal opportunity animal lovers. I, for example, am more of a dog person, but that's neither here nor there right now. While Dad loves dogs, over the years, I've come to know him as more of a cat person. They are very different animals from the beloved man's best friend. Regardless, Dad couldn't wait to meet Fritz. I remember he and I snuck into the basement to see if we could sniff him out of his hiding place. We found him tucked away on top of a metal cabinet. His eyes went wide as can be the moment he saw Dad, kind of like "What the?, Who the?" Needless to say, Fritz that was pretty much the only time he was seen during their visit. Dad was a little bummed out about this.   

A couple of years later I was getting ready to move out of my house and so brought Fritz, along with my two dogs, to my parents, for them to watch. It was here that Fritz became Dad's cat. Where once he was shy, he opened up to Dad and the two quickly formed a bond. He would follow Dad around the house, sit on his lap at night, take a nap with him during the day. Dad loved it.  

Then there was a harrowing incident when Fritz escaped and was gone for two winter days and nights, while at my parents. Having already lived through a cat that had gone out one day, never to return again, Dad was beside himself when this happened. Simply beside himself. Since Fritz had never really been outside before, Dad was worried that some animal would get him or he would wander down to the main road and get hit by a car. Then something happened. It was Friday night. The weathermen were predicting a snowstorm. Dad had not given up hope and had been outside constantly calling for Fritz and looking for him. I was in the TV room when all of a sudden the door to the mudroom flung open and Dad came running into the room exclaiming, "Guess who came back!" In his arms sat Fritz. Dad was ecstatic and wouldn’t let go of him. At that moment I realized how much that little cat meant to Dad.

When he was in the Hospital I would tell Dad he needed to get better because Fritz missed him. It made Dad smile every time. There’s something about animals and the animals we have in our lives. It’s an unconditional love that only exists with them.

As we all adjusted to Dad being away, so we have all adjusted to him being home, the dogs and cat included. It took a month to the day Dad returned home, for Fritz to once again sit next to Dad. When I walked into the TV room this past weekend and saw the two of them sitting there I smiled. Dad had his cat back again.