Grumpy Old Man
Fido was an amazing, if cantankerous cat. He was also special to us because he was the “old man” and king of the house right up until the end. There was nothing cuddly or affectionate about Fido. He was demanding, pushy, bossy, and entitled. He was a cat.
VITALS
- Name: Fido “Bear”
- Gender: Male
- Birthday: April 5, 1991
- Died: October 26, 2007 (16 years, 6 months)
- Status: “Married” to Jordan
- Hometown: Visalia, California
OCCUPATION
- King of the Household
FAVORITES
- Food: Any gravy-soaked wet food. The more gravy, the better.
- Treats: Crunchy, not soft, chicken flavors.
- Toys: “Fishing pole” pom-pom and shoelaces.
- Beds: Sinks, paper bags and a large cardboard box from Costco.
SPECIAL
- Loved to be groomed! Would walk on a leash through PetSmart after a grooming.
- Would sit and beg for treats like a puppy, trained by Patty Wyatt.
Fido “Bear” Wyatt
For the first two years of his life, Fido lived with Boots (a.k.a. “Bootsie Girl”), Gus, and the Wyatt family. We thought he’d be an only cat living with us; we even moved to a new apartment that allowed pets. Imagine how surprised Fido was when we ended up rescuing Mimi and Jordan a short time later!
Fido loved his comfy chairs. He would sit in a chair, reclining and watching the world. As one of the pictures of Fido at the Wyatt house demonstrates, he was one large, furry cat.
His tail was amazing. It was like a feather duster — and almost half of Fido’s overall size.
Let’s Go Fishing
Fido enjoyed playing with a “fishing pole” that had a small pink stuffed pom-pom at the end. He also liked to chase paper balls we tossed back and forth down the hall, but he wouldn’t play fetch or soccer with the balls on his own — we had to do the work.
By the time Jordan was a year old, she had taken to sleeping next to Fido and following him about the house. He tolerated her affections but never seemed too attached to any other cats. Fido was his own cat; he sought out attention on his terms.
Fido liked to spend time in the blue-carpet cat condo Ron Wyatt built for him. Okay, it might have been built for Fido and the girls, but he loved to be inside the condo while they liked to sleep on top of the column.
Laser pointers and other spots of light were not of much interest to Fido, though he would watch the other cats chase lights. He preferred to catch things and hold onto them.
Serve Me, People!
Sinks and bathtubs were Fido’s favorite watering holes. He would bang on the shower doors in the apartments until we caved in to his demands for fresh, cold water. Even a little water fountain for cats didn’t change his habits — he wanted the tub water. This wasn’t too bad during the day, but when Fido wanted water at 2 a.m. it was definitely annoying.
When Fido wanted attention, he would let you know by ramming into you and pushing with all his weight. He then expected you to figure out if he merely wanted to be scratched or if he wanted you to follow him somewhere.
Because he had a long, thick coat, Fido’s fur had a tendency to matt and knot. We would take him for grooming once or twice a year and he absolutely adored the attention. The “lion cut” would leave a mane around his neck, a shaved belly, and a neatly trimmed tail.
When groomed, Fido looked relatively small compared to Alex, or even Mimi. The photo of those three on Scott’s bed shows the difference.
Patty Wyatt trained Fido to sit and beg for treats when he was a kitten. Up until his last week, he would sit with his front paws bent and his tail wagging. It’s hard to write about it without both smiling and missing him deeply.
You Can’t Catch Me!
Fido came close to being left behind when we moved from California to Minnesota. He ran and hid in an empty bedroom closet. He resisted being captured, biting Scott and hollering loudly. The stress of moving was bad enough — Fido wasn’t going to make it any easier.
The new apartment in Bloomington, MN, was huge compared to the apartment in California. Fido, and all the cats, adored the open space. He soon found the sliding glass door offered sunshine and warmth. Fido, like most cats, loved sunny spots.
Once in Minnesota, Fido started to mellow a bit. He became something of a bed-time kitty, eager to cuddle with Susan. He purred more frequently, too.
Jordan and Fido
Fido wasn’t much for attention, but Jordan adored Fido, unlike Mimi, who bonded to the Three Amigos.
Unfortunately, we don’t have many photos of Fido and Jordan together, but they slept together and even ate together.
Slowing Down
The cancer diagnosis came while we were settling in at our new home. On July 23, 2007, one day after Scott’s uncle and nephew arrived to help with home renovations, we took Fido to the vet for tests. Cancer was confirmed one week later after a biopsy was double-checked for lymphoma.
Because Fido loved to be groomed, that was one of the final things we did for the old man. Fido had his last grooming on September 1. He was able to strut about the house, all handsome and sleek for almost two months. It was a lot easier on him, too, since his long hair was difficult to groom.
By early October, it was clear Fido was losing weight and strength. Though he still ran to the sound of an opening refrigerator, he would eat only little bits of food. We also tried kitten milk and tuna to keep him eating.
We took Fido to the vet on October 25 and were told he didn’t have long. It turned out, he only had one more day with us. By Friday morning, he could no longer stand on his own. Scott sat with him on the kitchen floor, but Fido was too tired to keep fighting cancer. At 4:50 p.m. on October 26, the grumpy old man drifted to sleep one last time.
Other cats outlived Fido, but he will always be the Old Man.