This is the story of my precious Tom.
I remember this moment very vividly, it was one of the happiest moment in my life. When I was a little girl, by little I mean 3 years old, I was in a horrible accident that left me bed ridden for nearly 6 months. In that time my grandfather came home one day and said he had a surprise for me and told me to close my eyes. I felt something soft on my face and opened my eyes to find the smallest kitten I had ever seen staring back at me. He was a black and white bi-colored kitten. I christened him Tom. He was my best friend and while I love all my furbabies dearly, Tom was the closest to my heart. Over the next few years Tom grew to immense proportions, even larger than my current oldest, Nova who is part Bobcat, but he was a gentle soul. He would lay with me in bed while I read him stories, he would chase my pencil while I did homework, follow me all around the neighborhood and would even be waiting for me at my bus stop everyday to walk me home. Once Tom even chased away a dog that had gotten loose from its chain and tried to bite me when I was younger.
Then one day when he was around 7 years old and I was 10, he didn't come home. We searched and searched but he was nowhere to be found. I cried and cried and then 2 days later he suddenly appeared at our doorstep. At first I was ecstatic to have my beloved friend back, but then I noticed what state he was in. He had no fur on his belly, no fur, skin or claws on any of his feet, his tail was in a similar state and his neck was cut and bleeding. He had drug himself who knows how far to get back home. We rushed him to the vet and luckily my best friend was saved but now he was no longer friendly with anyone but my grandfather and myself. Nearly a month into Toms recovery I heard two teenage boys on my bus laughing and bragging about a cat that they had drug behind a fourwheeler by its neck to their friends. Then one of them pulled out a Polaroid, in the picture was my beloved Tom, mangled and beaten and soaked in what the boys proceeded to laugh at being their own urine. I immediately went to my grandfather and told him about the photo and my grandfather reported them to the police. They both were over 18 and so went to court and were to pay for Toms medical bills and serve community service at the local animal shelter as well as pay a fine for their actions.
My Tom lived another 3 years in comfort and love and was his old self when he was with me and even continued to keep other feral males out of our yard despite having no claws to defend himself with. He was a tough old thing in the end. Then on his last day Mema picked me up from school explaining that Tom wasn't doing to well. He was on my bed waiting for me, to weak to even lift his head. I laid down with him and he licked my hand and purred before going to sleep forever.
It's taken me a long time to even talk about Tom, I still get teary eyed when I see black and white cats around the neighborhood and I honestly don't think my heart could handle getting another black and white furbaby. He was my first friend and went through so much with me.
I remember this moment very vividly, it was one of the happiest moment in my life. When I was a little girl, by little I mean 3 years old, I was in a horrible accident that left me bed ridden for nearly 6 months. In that time my grandfather came home one day and said he had a surprise for me and told me to close my eyes. I felt something soft on my face and opened my eyes to find the smallest kitten I had ever seen staring back at me. He was a black and white bi-colored kitten. I christened him Tom. He was my best friend and while I love all my furbabies dearly, Tom was the closest to my heart. Over the next few years Tom grew to immense proportions, even larger than my current oldest, Nova who is part Bobcat, but he was a gentle soul. He would lay with me in bed while I read him stories, he would chase my pencil while I did homework, follow me all around the neighborhood and would even be waiting for me at my bus stop everyday to walk me home. Once Tom even chased away a dog that had gotten loose from its chain and tried to bite me when I was younger.
Then one day when he was around 7 years old and I was 10, he didn't come home. We searched and searched but he was nowhere to be found. I cried and cried and then 2 days later he suddenly appeared at our doorstep. At first I was ecstatic to have my beloved friend back, but then I noticed what state he was in. He had no fur on his belly, no fur, skin or claws on any of his feet, his tail was in a similar state and his neck was cut and bleeding. He had drug himself who knows how far to get back home. We rushed him to the vet and luckily my best friend was saved but now he was no longer friendly with anyone but my grandfather and myself. Nearly a month into Toms recovery I heard two teenage boys on my bus laughing and bragging about a cat that they had drug behind a fourwheeler by its neck to their friends. Then one of them pulled out a Polaroid, in the picture was my beloved Tom, mangled and beaten and soaked in what the boys proceeded to laugh at being their own urine. I immediately went to my grandfather and told him about the photo and my grandfather reported them to the police. They both were over 18 and so went to court and were to pay for Toms medical bills and serve community service at the local animal shelter as well as pay a fine for their actions.
My Tom lived another 3 years in comfort and love and was his old self when he was with me and even continued to keep other feral males out of our yard despite having no claws to defend himself with. He was a tough old thing in the end. Then on his last day Mema picked me up from school explaining that Tom wasn't doing to well. He was on my bed waiting for me, to weak to even lift his head. I laid down with him and he licked my hand and purred before going to sleep forever.
It's taken me a long time to even talk about Tom, I still get teary eyed when I see black and white cats around the neighborhood and I honestly don't think my heart could handle getting another black and white furbaby. He was my first friend and went through so much with me.
and thank you for your kind words 
