Buddy - the Maryland Terror

Dad and I had a cat named Imp. One night, Imp didn't come home (he was allowed to run free during the summer months). Well, it was a rainy night, and dad fell asleep without looking for him. Needless to say, we had expected the worst. And it took nearly four months for us to be reunited with Imp. But there was a blessing in the midst of our loss. One of our close friends had a cat that had just given birth. A few weeks later, we went over to pick out a kitten. Our friend was going to give us one since we had lost Imp. Well, we saw Buddy, and that was it! :) I was attending the University of Maryland at College Park (UMCP) at this time. Buddy had this marking on his forehead that looked JUST like the big M on campus! Check it out on the picture below. Thus the reason he got the moniker "The Maryland Terror". :)

So, we took him home. A month or two later, the SPCA called saying they had a cat that matched Imp's description. We went there and looked at him, and sure enough, it was Imp! We took Imp home, cared for him and nursed him back to health. He was in pretty bad shape. But he was back to normal in a short time! Buddy wasn't real keen on another cat on his territory! So, he'd beat Imp and chase him all the time. Imp would just do the parental thing and clean Buddy. And Buddy was a hyyperactive little kitty! :) So, we had this cardboard carrier for him, and I wrote on the outside of it: "BEWARE: ATTACK KITTY!" He never really attacked anything, but just played roughly! After a while Imp got wise to Buddy's shenanigans, and would beat him senseless. It was funny to see! This old cat with no claws beating the daylights out of this hyperactive kitty! Buddy hadn't been named for the longest time. We just called him kitty. :) But one evening, while relaxing with a beer, I noticed Buddy drinking off the top of dad's beer can, as he had done so many times before. :) So, we named him Bud Weiser! :) Buddy for short! :)

Imp had a renal (kidney) failure shortly after that, and we had to put him down. :( It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, 'til now. Friday, December 16, my birthday, I noticed Buddy acting very lethargic and listless. I was afraid he might have had kidney problems, as he was getting up in the years, and he looked JUST like Imp did when he had his renal failure. So, I took him to the vet.

The vet was pretty certain my observation was probably correct, but she had to take a blood sample and check. Well, I went back later, and she walks up to me with a blank expression on her face, and says "Buddy's diabetic!" I was amazed! I thought FOR SURE that he was going to have to be put down. Well, now he was going to live, but it was gonna be a tough change of lifestyle for me. So, I did my birthday bash gig at the Old Town Grill & Bar and Buddy stayed at the vet's. The next day, I was to transport him to the local emergency clinic for monitoring over the weekend. The vet there did a thorough examination, and came back with a a much bleaker outlook on Buddy's prognosis. Turns out, he had heart problems (which we were already treating him for), his liver was breaking down, and his glucose levels were threateningly high.

After discussing it with the vet and thinking how I didn't want him to have to go through all that anxiety and pain, I decided to euthanize him. It was the right decision, or so said the vet. It's hard to lose a pet like this, 'cause they're like your kids. Especially when you don't have any children. And this was even more difficult with the ties to my father, whom I lost about five years ago. So, I continue on, hoping that one day I'll see Buddy again! He was one of the craziest, most lovinest, most playful cats I've ever known!

Rest In Peace, Bud-Bud! (that's what I called him)