Norman’s Watch Has Ended

Norman has been with my family for just over 20 years, across two cross-country moves, seeing the coming and going of several other cats, including his own children. And his watch has finally come to an end.

Some people think of cats as standoffish and unfriendly. But Norman was the perfect counterpoint to that. He always loved laying on people’s laps, especially mine. And he was extremely chill, no matter how often the younger cats that passed through his life annoyed him.

In his old age, he started to become even more clingy and loving, and in his final weeks he kept climbing onto my shoulder to be as close as possible to me.

The amount of comfort Norman gave me over the years cannot be overstated. On nights where I would cry, or nights when I would come close to dangerous habits, and even a couple times I came close to giving up entirely: Norman seemed to have a sonar for detecting when I was feeling bad, and was there for me.

Life isn’t going to be the same without Norman. But what matters is that he is finally free from pain, free from the arthritis that had begun to plague him and the seizures that started in the couple of days before his final vet visit.

Norman’s watch has ended. But he will forever remain in my heart.