www.HarveyStinkySonar.com: Napoleon "Stinky" Pumpkin

Dear friends,

Napoleon "Stinky" (Pumpkin) passed away this afternoon at the vet hospital. He was resting peacefully after a difficult week of medical tests and treatment for what eventually appeared to be FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis), a fatal disease that can be tricky to diagnose. I am terribly, terribly heartbroken. i will never get used to the pain of losing a little one. but i am very proud of Stinky and am comforted by his grace and composure throughout this past week. He was brave to the very end.

Napoleon (originally named Pumpkin) and his "brother" Harvey (originally named Spidey) were both rescued from Hurricane Katrina by Hopalong Animal Rescue in 2005. Unlike Spidey, young Pumpkin was sickly and emaciated from having consumed unclean water and been abandoned in the aftermath of Katrina. But Hopalong found them, nursed them back to health, and put Pumpkin and Spidey up for adoption. Pumpkin's adoption picture (Right) included this bio caption: "He has a loud sweet purr and aspires to grow into his ears." It is a wonder the two kitties weren't adopted the moment they became available. But Josh & Sarah hit the lottery-of-life and were fortunate enough to adopt both kitties from Hopalong's mobile pet adoption site on Telegraph Ave in Berkeley. Upon adoption, Josh & Sarah renamed Pumpkin and Spidey to Napoleon and Harvey, respectively. The four of them lived together with current foster parent, me ("Dad"), in my Berkeley apartment for about a year. To say the least, I had grown very fond of both kitties during this time. For several good reasons (and one bad one), I affectionately nicknamed Napoleon "Stinky." Harvey and Stinky aren't blood relations, but they behave very much like close siblings. There have never been two kitties who were so comfortable, caring and trusting of each other as Harvey & Stinky. They routinely cleaned each other and loved to snuggle up in the silliest positions during cat naps.
In 2006-2007, Harvey and Stinky moved with Josh to Fremont and San Jose. Due to incompatibilities in living arrangements, I was asked in April 2007 to foster them. I had just lost my baby, Waify, on April 11... and I was still recovering from her sudden departure. i still couldn't believe she was gone. nevertheless, i recognized that Harvey & Stinky were in urgent, dire circumstances and there wasn't any time to waste, so I agreed immediately and wholeheartedly to foster them! I had missed them so much! Soon, I was reunited with Harvey & Stinky! Surprisingly, H&S remembered me. There was very little, if any, re-adjustment period. It seemed like they had been living with me all these years. And I was relieved to discover that they LOVED my new home!
Since then, Harvey & Stinky have been living happily with Waify (until she passed away), Sonar, roommate Hannah, and me in a spacious apartment (a.k.a. "Kitty World") in SF. That is, until last Thursday when Stinky began showing signs of illness. After a week of battling sickness, Stinky eventually succumbed to complications from FIP today. Sadly, we had to euthanize him this afternoon sometime around 5:40pm at San Francisco Veterinary Specialists. I was with Stinky during his final moments of life. I was devastated, but I comforted him and made sure he knew that he was loved very much by many people and many kitties. Stinky was a true gentleman and prince throughout his life, and he departed it just as he had lived it.

Words, pictures, videos... nothing adequately describes what a wonderful little creature Stinky was. He loved to play fetch. Yes, FETCH! When he'd see me grab one of the little sponge soccer balls, Stinky would get so excited that he'd make silly noises which sounded very much like barking! (I'm thoroughly convinced Stinky was a dog in a former life.) As a kitten, Stinky was smart enough to hunt down a bouncing ball and bring it all the way back to me, even if i had tossed the ball down the spiral staircase to the living room downstairs. (see video below.) Simply amazing! Sometimes I'd be working on the computer when I'd suddenly hear Stinky's unique, elongated, delicate low-to-high-pitch whine, "mrrrreeEEooeewwRRrrwwwr" ... which roughly translates to, "Will you play fetch with meeEEee?" When I would turn around to see what was happening, I'd find that Stinky had dropped a ball at my feet and was looking up at me with his big eyes. If I was busy and didn't hear him the first time, he'd quietly go fetch another sponge ball from the other room and try again. I still feel badly about this one time when I was deeply entranced in my work, and I barely noticed hearing Stinky's repeated calls to play fetch. After several "mrrrreeEEooeewwRRrrwwwr" cries, I finally realized that he had been trying to get my attention. I turned around to find an anxiously waiting Stinky surrounded by 6 little sponge soccer balls! :)

We were all so blessed to have Stinky in our lives. He brought much joy to many of us--especially me. Stinky was a sweet, gentle, silly, playful, funny little kitty. I will miss him dearly.

Thank you Stinky. You are my angel.

-Dad