Pumpkin, the Anxious Kitty
Trying to understand Pumpkin Kitty was probably impossible. He was the most neurotic, clingy, needy cat you will ever meet. Come to think of it, you’d probably never meet him… he hid the moment a door opened or any other sound startled him. PK was only at ease with Susan, and somewhat tolerant of Scott. Visitors to our apartments and houses would never have known PK existed.
Pumpkin was the last to join our California household and the last to leave us.
He bridged some major changes in our lives, and will always be Mommy’s Boy. It is a shame PK only felt at ease for a short time, and never seemed to be at ease after we left California.
VITALS
- Name: Pumpkin Kitty (P.K.)
- Gender: Male
- Birthday: August 18, 1998 (approximately)
- Died: December 29, 2016 (18 years, 4 months)
- Hometown: Visalia, California
OCCUPATION
- Bed Tester
FAVORITES
- Food: Dry food.
- Treats: Soft treats only. Ideally, small pieces.
- Toys: “Fishing pole” pom-pom and laser light. PK knows the sound of the laser pointer being picked up from a shelf!
- Beds: Any surface, even the back of a rocking chair. (PK missed the chair when we moved from California.)
SPECIAL
One anxious cat! Actually needed “kitty Valium” to function somewhat normally. Even with medication, he was anxious.
Pumpkin, Susan’s Boy
There is no question that Pumpkin is Susan’s kitty. He adores her. At night, he sleeps next to her or at her feet. He followers her around the house, though he does so from a safe distance.
Baby PK
Curled up on Mommy’s Bed
Early Trauma
Pumpkin was abandoned, sadly, which might be one reason he was so insecure.
The poor cat is even afraid of us after all these years. Move too quickly and he runs away. If we must walk past him, we try to give him as much space as possible, but he still panics. If we are watching TV or reading, we have to let PK come to us, on his terms, so he can ease into our laps.
Beds (On and Under)
PK in the Guest Room (Chippewa, PA)
PK likes to watch the world from the safety of a bedroom window. He’ll stand on his back legs to peer out, before relaxing in a nice warm sunny spot.
Moving Stinks
Pumpkin has not handled any of our moves well. From California to Minnesota was tough, from an apartment to a house was a challenge, and the move from Minnesota to Pennsylvania has been worse than traumatic.
It hasn’t helped that the last two moves have been accompanied by the deaths of Fido and J.C. Kitty. Fido passed away after we moved into our house in Minneapolis. PK never liked Fido, but he knew something was wrong when Fido became ill. J.C., however, was a serious loss for Pumpkin. Though he could tolerate other cats, Pumpkin had ridden along in a cage with J.C. from Minneapolis to Chippewa. J.C., always a great papa, seemed to know Pumpkin needed a calm companion.
Minnesota
The Upstairs Years
Pumpkin with Wally, May 2016
Final Days
Pumpkin was miserable his last few days, from Christmas Eve 2016 until we finally made the decision to let him sleep. PK spent the last few nights curled up next to Susan, sharing her pillow.
Pumpkin died at 9:52 a.m. on December 29, 2016.