Rascal, 2004-2016

Yesterday, my wife and I said goodbye to our beloved cat Rascal. He had contracted a very malignant and aggressive cancer of the mouth, and had quickly wasted away. Finally, it reached the point where he could no longer eat or drink and was losing the ability to walk steadily. There comes a point where you know you can’t prolong the suffering one day more and Thursday, sadly, was that day. Rascal was put to sleep very gently and compassionately by the caregivers at Mountain Vista Animal Hospital. They are true angels and the single best thing about living in Las Vegas. At right, you can see the last picture taken of Rascal, caught in one of his favorite hiding places, the laundry hamper. He was the sweetest-tempered of our cats and a real mama’s boy. We will miss that, as well as his Tigger-like bouncing around, leaping into misadventures with no forethought of the consequences — a charming foible of his exuberant nature. He was so kindly disposed that he thought nothing of it when Fasolt (1992-2011) and then J’Adoube (2010- ) moved in and took on the Alpha-cat role. Rascal just wanted to be part of the boys club and could often be seen tagging along, as if to say, “Hey, guys, can I play, too?” When we were fostering Goliath, the kitten we rescued from an I-15 off-ramp, Rascal took it upon himself to be Goliath’s guardian, sheltering him and giving him helpful nudges as Goliath climbed the sofa. Now he will be able to play to his heart’s content, free from earthly suffering, although his impish spirit will live with us forever.