Tjockis Olsson in loving memory.

This is the story of Tjockis Olsson.
Our beloved cat who passed away too soon.

Tjockis first came into our lives long before the kids were born.
We were living in a collective house and a girl who we shared an apartment with got Tjockis from an animal shelter.
At the shelter they really wanted to get rid of here.
Claimed she could't be in the same room as other cats, so she was hogging too much space.

Tjockis went by the name Tiffy, and was proud to be 1/4 of persian cat.
We changed her name as soon as we came up with a new one.
No cat of mine will go by the name Tiffy.
A friend of mine gave us the suggestion Tjockis Olsson, it means Fatso Olsson, which is what my friend's gymteacher called her in school.
My friend was very skinny.
But our cat had that little hanging belly that castrated female cats sometimes have so the name fit her perfectly.
There have been verions of it throughout the years.
Tjockis.
Olsson.
Tjocka.
Tjockapocka.
Puupää. (Means woodhead in finnish)
Gammeltanten.

The first few weeks she was incredibly shy and unsocial.
Spent most of her time underneath the sofa.

But then step by step, she started hanging out around the apartment.
Pretty soon we realized that she liked my room the best and we put her food and water in there.
My roommate at the time wanted to return Tjockis to the shelter, because of her "strange personality".
I would not listen to such nonsense and said, then i'll keep her.
I'm sure she was jealous cause Tjockis wanted to be in my room not hers.
Slowly Tjockis started to become friendly.
At first she slept next to my bed.
Then in my bed, by my feet.
Then right next to me by my face wanted to have her belly rubbed before going to sleep.

From the start it was obvious that Tjockis didn't like men all that much.
She never slept on Jani's side of the bed.
Tjockis had a huge personality, the way only cats can.
She didn't say meow, she sounded more like a sheep.
She knew what she wanted and made sure that she got it.
For example it happened that she wanted to have company when eating so she forced me to stand by her foodbowl when she ate.
This sometimes happened in the middle of the night.

After a while we decided to get Tjockis some company.
Well actually a bunch of kittens were found in a box in our apartmentbuilding and we decided to keep one of them.
The new cat wanted to be Tjockis friend.
Tjockis felt she didn't need friends.
So she started pooping outside of the litterbox.
Just to show mommy and daddy that this having another cat besides her wasn't the best of ideas.

She was an indoor cat for most of her life.
Didn't keep her from hunting though.
Once she was on the balcony and a bird crashed into the window.
Tjockis moved fast.
Might have been the only time she moved fast.
Have never seen a prouder cat in my life.

Tjockis wasn't so good at playing.
When she did she looked a little embarrased and confused.
Like she didn't know what she was doing or why.
She didn't like toys on a string.
She liked the string.
She didn't like to play with our other cat.
She didn't like to play with our kids either.
She mostly liked to chill.
Which is what she did 24 hours a day.
Not so good for her digestion, but what can you do.

Tjockis always knew what was best for her.
She knew when something was done for her own good.
Therefor she never complained at the vet.
Even when the vet put a needle into an infected dogbite.
Tjockis didn't make a sound.
Or when we had to give her medicine.
We could just put it in her mouth.
Or when she had to be in the car.
We could just put her in her cage and she went to sleep.
Even when the carride was from Sweden all the way to Finland.
Or when getting her fur combed, eventhough I pulled it pretty hard.
She liked the attention I guess.

When we lived on a farm she got to be outside for a year or so.
Didn't work out too well.
She got bitten by the neighbour dog.
Twice.
Tjockis was never know for her speed.
And the dog figured since he had managed to get her once, he might as well try again.
The last time it resulted in a dislocated hip, surgery and a big bill for the neighbours.

She also got lost one time.
Was gone for 12 days.
It was very tough on all of us.
I cried and cried and searched for her everywhere.
It was almost unbearable not to know where she was, if she was hurt and starving.
Then one day she just walked through the door like nothing happened.
Cats can be that way.
Since that her intestines didn't funtion all that well.
We had to feed her expensive veterinary food and for the last 6 months or so we also had to give her medicine everyday.
Unfortantely even that didn't help.

A few days ago she got very sick.
Then after a whole day of vomiting and bloody dhiarrea she sort of gave up.
At first she slept in the shower.
Not very normal for a cat.
We treated her best we could, but we she did nothing but hide under our bed completely exhausted.
We realized it was time to let go.
Told Vera that Tjockis had to move to the hospital and stay there.
Will she have dolls and a stroller there, Vera wanted to know.
Yes, I said, she'll have everything she wants.

I took her to the vet and she died in my arms.
She was calm the whole time, she just fell asleep there.
It was a good way to go.

I feel like she got to have a good life.
At least the 7 years she lived with us.
Not all that many cats have their own passport.
Not all that many cats have travelled on the Finlandferry, and lived in two different countries.
Not all that many cats have been this loved.

But we miss her.
Miss her taking up space in the bed.
Refusing to move an inch, even when being pushed.
Miss her purring when being rubbed on the belly.
The little sound she made when I stopped, and the little shove she gave me to show me I had to keep rubbing.
Miss her claws tapping on the floor.
Miss her sounding like a sheep.
Even at four in the morning.