Hugo - 14.2.2009 - 14.5.2016

You came to me at 8 weeks, along side your mother Gina, a small scrap of blue and white with big green eyes and the hugest ears.

You grew up to be larger than expected, but always a skinny thing - no matter how much food or how many treats you ate .... the ears were still huge.

You made getting ready for work complicated, insisting that part of the time should be dedicated to you being cuddled.  As a result you frequently got your skin moisturised, covered in talc and occasionally sprayed with perfume.

You stole, anything and everything you could get your paws on... the veggie sausages I left on the side in the kitchen, empty crisp packets, socks were always a favourite.  You'd hide your toys, normally inside my duvet.  though your best steal will always be the pair of my friends knickers I found some 5 months after her last visit hidden in one of your secret places.

You never let me shower alone, I got used to being watched by the gargoyle at the end of the bath.  Though I could have done without you trying to sit on my knee on the toilet.

I won't look at the empty picture hook half way up the bedroom floor without remembering the hours you spent convinced it was a spider and trying to jump up to get it.  Looking up the stairs I can see you hanging by your claws off the wallpaper halfway up the wall expecting me to fix things and get you down again.

I will miss the serenading you did from the newell post at the bottom of the stairs.  Your impeccable timing - telling me when I should go to bed, get up and of course feed you.

I might be able to turn over in bed without fear of sudden stealth attacks on my feet, but I will never do it without thinking about you.

This morning you were fine.  You and your mum were playing tag on the bathroom windowsill while I was in the shower.  You curled up on my chest as I sat on the bed covered in towels and purred at me.  You pee'd in the laundry basket, but I will forgive you for that one.

I didn't expect to find you on the floor this afternoon when I came up to feed you and put the laundry away.  You were trying to head to your food bowl, but your backlegs weren't working.  You weren't in pain, but your back paws were cold, and had no feeling.  The x-rays showed a clean break, straight across your spine.  I will never know what happened, I can only imagine that you landed badly after one of your death defying leaps from either the top of the bedroom door or the wardrobe - you were probably aiming for your unsuspecting mother.

Gina and I are both distraught. She's crying upstairs, confused as to where her son has gone.... though the fresh chicken did help distract her for a bit.

I shall miss you more than you can imagine my very special, naughty, noisy kitten.