Owen Fletcher

Two best friends

The story of Owen. 

I want to write his story before his time with us is gone.  He is very sick and the Vet suspects he has liver cancer.  His days are numbered and we are trying to cherish every day we have left.   So this is his story.

In the spring or early summer of 2003, my husband's grandmother took in a stray cat.  She was a beautiful white cat.  What she did not know at the time was the reason that the cat was probably out was because she was pregnant.  She named her Megan.  Owen, 1 sister and 3 brothers were born behind Grandma's dresser on Sunday July 27, 2003.  She allowed them the nurse and we decided that we would take one of the litter when they were ready to be weaned.  This would be my first cat and my first pet.  My husband's grandmother agreed to this and wanted to be the one to pick which one she thought we should take.  She thought Owen was originally a girl so we bought some things and had picked out a name and had a collar made.  In October we drove to Grandma's house to pick up our kitten.  We took what we thought was Emmy home and were thrilled.  The first night we left "her" down in the basement with a baby gate blocking the stairs.  I just thought that's what you did.  The second night he jumped the gate and slept in our bed.  He hasn't missed a night since.  We should have known then he would not be without his people. 

After awhile we took "her" to the vet to find out we had a boy.  I didn't realize most tabby cats are boys.  Live and learn.  So we had to pick a new name.  Grandma had picked his mother's name because that was the next letter in the alphabet she was on.  They had so many animals they just went alphabetically then picked a name from that.  So she had already named his sister Nellie and one of his brothers Nicholas.  My in laws took a brother and named him Rumsfeld or Rumy for short.  The last brother went to Grandma's doctor and was named Leo.  I couldn't come up with an N name so I went to O and instantly Owen came to me and stuck.  My friend C actually picked his middle name Fletcher.  So then he was named Owen Fletcher. 

He is the center of our world and was the child we could not conceive.  Finally after 5 years of trying I became pregnant with my son and poor Owen had contend with this intruder in his house.  After some adjustment they are now inseparable and I don't know how we are going to tell my son when it is time.  We have been trying to warn him and explain to him that Owen is very sick and he knows that but doesn't yet understand that one day soon Owen will leave us for good.  It really breaks my heart.  Owen only just turned 8 this summer. He is so full of personality it is hard to believe he will not be here soon.  His time was too short with us.