Humphrey was the man

By Ralph Villers

We lost Sir Humphrey today. It was sudden, and it was quick. Just like that, the furry member of our family was gone, at the young cat age of 9.

Humphrey looked very much like a Maine Coon, although at 12 pounds, he was considerably smaller than average for that breed. For a mutt, he sure was a pretty animal. You saw the gray right away, but in the natural light, a lot of brown showed as well.

He was well behaved. Of course, I referred to him as ‘Felinus Obnoxious', which is a term of endearment in my offbeat way. He could use any of his cat weapons to get what he wanted: First, he would rub his jowls against corners, then a cute chirp, then a fake purr, and then, as a last resort he would insist, an loud ME-OW! But this was no worse than a small child who was not able to open the refrigerator door requesting the same.

I had fun replacing the name ‘Humphrey’ in the lyrics of songs, which the other humans in the house found extremely strange. You might too, but Hump offered no opinion either way. One example is The Commodores Brick House:“Humphrey’s a Grayyy Cat He’s Mighty, Mighty,Just Letting it all Hang Out” I had more, but you get the idea.

I think that the idea that a cat is useless is wrong. Sure they lie around, but Hump really liked to have his belly rubbed. His fur underneath was luxuriously nubby and thick Maine Coon style. You know, an animal in the wild would never expose themselves in this way, but it is a trusting cat (or dog) that would allow a family member to skritch away. Actually, it was therapeutic for the human as well.

Finally, he liked to hang around the family, sitting on the hope chest in the dining room when we ate dinner. Not just for table food, but he liked to be with the family. He was a jealous cat in that he probably wouldn't tolerate another cat in the house to get the affections he felt were rightly his!

In the picture shown, he is relaxed and has the look that might have said, “I’m comfortable here on the bed, and very content. How’s your day?”

Editor's note: This story was originally posted on Ralph Viller's blog after his family lost the amazing Humphrey in 2007. Ralph's blog is at: http://airhead55-ralph.blogspot.com/