Hoy es un día muy triste para nuestra familia. Acabamos de dar sepultura a Truso, un gato abandonado que recogimos hace más de 15 años con el nombre «Intruso».
Retrato de Truso sobre la bolsa de tenis de mi hijo Erik.
Se colaba en nuestro jardín hasta que lo adoptamos. Mejor dicho, hasta que él nos adoptó a nosotros como sus leales siervos. Dormía con nosotros en nuestra cama.
Artículo publicado en La Voz de Almería.
Aunque tenía gotas de lince salvaje, en la terminación de sus orejas, era dócil, amable, tierno y cariñoso.
Truso dormía sobre mis apuntes.
Truso era el más anciano de nuestros cuatro gatos y era paciente y resignado con los más jóvenes, sobre todo con el pequeño Moisés al que salvamos de las aguas en Almería.
Truso, Chanti, Gatilla y Moisés, por orden de edad.
Cuando se entere nuestro nieto Leo lo va a sentir mucho. Gloria, su gata almeriense, ya ha visitado la tumba de Truso.
Gloria, la gata de Leo, sobre la tumba de Truso.
En el último medio siglo, con gran dolor, hemos dado sepultura a varios gatos y perros muy queridos. Pero, esta tarde, la muerte tan trágica de Truso, destrozado por el golpe de un coche, pienso que me ha afectado más que la de los otros. Herido, se fue arrastrando hasta la puerta de nuestra casa donde falleció. Un día muy triste, sí, para nuestra familia.
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Para los parientes y amigos de habla inglesa, Ana Westley ha escrito este obituario que copio y pego.
Our beloved Truso is dead. He was hit by a car that was racing down our streetZ he managed to drag himself to Andy’s driveway which she had just opened a few minutes earlier. He made it to the steps and collapsed and mercifully died. He suffered maybe just 5 minutes dragging himself to safety and his domain. We are all heartbroken.
Just 15 minutes before We we’re eating in the kitchen terrace. I had given him some bites of my merluza. We shoos him off the table. He left and aparently went outside our gate door or went out Andy’s door. We don’t know. Andy didn’t see him get hit, but saw a grey car racing away. She was driving down our street, opened the gate and saw Truso dragging himself. She called us immediately. We ran out just in time to see him die. His eyes were open and glazed. I petted him and there was a reflex tiny meow and his body shook. That is when the heart stops. Blood came out of his mouth. We all cried: Andy, Papa, Paula and her husband who had just arrived and stopped to see the commotion. They gave us hugs.
We knew this was the risk of allowing cats out to roam. He was gentle “old gentleman” over 15 years old. His time would soon end within a few years, though cats can live up to 20 years. Perhaps it’s better El end this quickly than have cancer or liver failure and have to euthanize them. Truso had a long life.
This morning he woke me up purring loudly and nudging me to get up. He used to sleep wrapped around by bad shoulder and after the shoulder replacement. The purring and warmth always felt so good. Then he quit after months of rehab.
We will miss our dear cuddly Truso as we have missed many cats, and dogs, before him. Each had his or her own personality and were a part of our lives. All pets are members of our family. Like Andrea said as a child, “son personas no humanas.” They love us unconditionally and we love them too. They demand so little of us: food, shelter, and affection.