With his signature vocal presence, Scruffy first came into my life in 1996, meowing on my roof. Initially named, because he needed lots of combing, I began calling him “The Bear,” a sobriquet befitting his intelligence and nobility.
In 2005, he became a major internet celebrity starring in “The Joely Show” and later entered the world of blogging, when he started “Scruffy’s Blog,” so our special friends, Jade and Roxy, could keep up with him after they moved to Bakersfield.
In March of 2007, when Scruffy was in trouble – I thought we had “days or weeks” and I knew I was going to have to move, I got drunk one night and called a good friend. He gave me some advice that really made a difference: For the time we had left, to enjoy every day with The Bear! The “days or weeks” turned into five months, and they were good ones!
In the depth of my despair, the phone rang one afternoon and we’d found a new place!
The move was tough, and The Bear flagged. I was really afraid that I might lose him, he was under so much stress. But he bounced back, and we made it! I consider that one of life’s triumphs.
I’m sure he’d rather have been in his old, familiar, home. But he had a pretty good deal here. Scruffy had his own room. He slept on a down pillow covered with a “decommissioned” cashmere sweater. I slept on the floor with him, putting his pillow right next to mine, so we could stay close. He seemed to like that. Every morning he’d get up and come out into the living room. Initially, he’d perch by the sliding glass door, “keeping watch.” Later, he’d clamber up onto his favorite morning spot, one of the pallets on the sofa which was drenched in sunlight. We had a beautiful summer here at “Scruffy’s Palace.”
My dearest companion, Scruffy, left us on Wednesday, September 5th 2007, a little after 11 am. His Godmother, Maggie’s Mom, Caroline, was with us.
Several weeks after Scruffy died, I had a dream about him. In the dream, I had to leave Scruffy at his vet’s because I wasn’t able to provide him with the level of care he needed. I felt very sad about that and had gone back to visit him. When I arrived to visit, I peered into Scruffy’s room, and there he was in a pile of kitties, grooming and being groomed! He was so “into it” that he didn’t even notice me; and I didn’t want to disrupt his bliss, so I remained as inconspicuous as possible. It seemed out of character for The Bear, but I felt very glad, knowing that he’d made wonderful friends and that he was having something he’d always missed out on.
Update – I posted a memorial slideshow for The Bear on “joely’s blog.”
