Tucker
July 1, 2008? to May 14, 2024
Tucker, our intrepid farm cat, crossed the Rainbow Bridge today. We estimate he was about 16 years old.
He hadn't been eating for a few days and Cathy took him to Dr. Sinclair at Cat Sense Feline Hospital and Boarding, Inc. After an exam and subsequent x-ray, she determined that he had a lot of fluid and a mass in his chest that was most likely cancer. His lungs were operating at about 30% capacity. He was struggling to breathe properly and we determined that the kindest thing was to help him cross peacefully. It's hard to believe that he is gone. He was such a big part of our history and our every day operations at CTR.
Tucker came to CTR as a stray that a kind person picked up alongside of a busy road. She saw him walking down the road, stopped, opened her car door, and he hopped right in. He was still intact. His right eye had been damaged to the point that nothing was left except a few dead nerves. She couldn't keep Tucker (named Charlie at the time) because her brother was allergic to cats and she didn't want to keep him outdoors because of the busy road they lived on. Her mom put out an email that somehow ended up getting forwarded to Cathy. We had just euthanized our farm cat, Mrs. Bigglesworth, and it was very lonely at the farm without a farm cat on patrol, so she decided to reach out.
She called the woman and asked if she could meet Tucker, er Charlie, and they said she could visit that evening. He was very attached to their daughter, who had found him. She told them what his new job would be and the accommodations he would have. She asked them to think about it and let me know if that's what they wanted for him. A couple of days later, the daughter brought him to CTR.
Tucker needed to be neutered and his eye or what was left of it needed surgery too. Through the generosity of our volunteers and families, we raised the money for Tucker's surgery in just a day or two. Dr. Rowland performed both surgeries and made sure Tucker's enucleation was successful without jeopardizing the sight in his other eye.
Tucker was Cathy's constant companion when CTR resided in Havre de Grace. They patrolled the fence lines at lunch time every day. He kept the barn rodent-free and snuggled with her on cold days. He loved the horses and was often found hanging out in the arenas when programming was going on. He absolutely LOVED rolling in the stonedust! He was definitely a beloved member of the herd.
When we moved from Havre de Grace, we couldn't take Tucker to where we were going because they had a barn cat. So, Tucker lived with Cathy for FIVE YEARS and through another farm move. He had to be kept separate from her house cats because his tolerance for lazy house cats was rather low and he stalked them like prey. She had to do "the changing of the cats" daily so they all could get run of the house without injury. Tucker didn't seem to mind the "suite" created for him in the lower level bathroom. He had everything he needed, a comfy bed, litter pan, and his food and water bowls.
Tucker came to live at the farm where we are currently located when we moved in November 2017 to what was to become our "forever farm". He was a constant companion, yet again, but we no longer gave him access to the entire farm. With coyotes, eagles, and a very busy road out front, we felt it best to have him as an office cat only.
Though most folks who participate in programming didn't get a chance to meet Tucker (unless you attended a volunteer orientation or rider intake meeting), he still continued to be a big part of our operations with his relationship with our staff. One of his favorite things was to sit in Katy's lap and purr, while she worked. No one's outfits were complete without being covered by Tucker's fur. Losing Tucker is a tough one.
We are heartbroken as we process the loss of our handsome boy, Tucker, the Cat with a Permanent Wink. The One-Eyed Wonder. The Tuckmeister General.
Run free, sweet boy. We will forever miss your loud purring and how you would trill when you were really happy and content. We will miss your head boops and how you always climbed on our shoulders when we were trying to work at our computers. We will miss how you would claim anyone's lap you deemed worthy of your affection. But most of all, we will miss your sweet soul who gave so much and never asked for anything.
