Boomer

Adopted December 29, 2005 to September 5, 2006

On December 29, 2005, I went to the Humane Society of Knox County in Rockland, Maine  to pick up Hermie who was finally well enough to come home. With now a total of 5 cats, I wasn't even remotely interested in acquiring yet another.  Upon arrival at the shelter, the staff was busy, so decided to walk thru the different areas & visit the other "guests"...

That's when it happened......

The main room must have contained 30 cats and I initially never saw Merlot (the name the shelter gave him).  Must have spent a good 5 minutes of looking at the others before coming upon Merlot. Apparently, Merlot was taking it all in, as atop one of the cages, sat this little pure black fellow, who obviously was viewing my actions.  When I finally noticed him & made eye contact, he just looked into my eyes for about 5 seconds.......  I never had a chance to talk to him, nor attempted to pet him yet. But apparently, his mind was already made up, and for whatever reason, he decided he was coming home with me that very day.  His tail starts wagging and within a second, he was atop my shoulder snuggling firmly against my neck and purring loudly - paws draped over my shoulders and totally relaxed.  He simply couldn't get close enough......    He must have stayed there for close to 5 minutes. But by that time Amie was free and it was time to get Hermie.  So put Merlot  back atop the cage, but in a flash, up he lept again.   This was repeated several more times.  I couldn't get rid of him ! .......  Finally extricated myself from him &  was walking with Amie back to get Hermie.  But Merlot followed me like a shadow - again looking for any opportunity to leap on my shoulder.   Amie said she never witnessed anything like it.....  Though "Merlot" was sociable and what you would consider to be a true "Lap Cat" , never had he exhibited this behavior before.

For whatever reason, Merlot had decided I was "it", and he was coming home that very day and was not about to take no for an answer.....   No sense fighting it....  I knew when I was beat, so signed another set of adoption papers and Merlot came home December 29, 2005 along with Hermie.

I never chose him.....  It didn't happen that way: instead, he chose me....      Little did I suspect at the time what a powerful and strong relationship this would develop in to.

Merlot was quite "talkative" and made it quite clear that he did NOT want to be caged in the cat carrier for the ride back home.  So, I decided to let him out.  Once out of the carrier, he snuggled in my lap and wasn't  the least bothered about the car ride.  Once he got what he wanted, he was quiet ! Turns out that was one of his endearing traits...

With now 5 others, I figured it would take at least several days for him to acclimate to his new settings and the other cats once all the "turf issues" were settled amongst themselves....   Again he defied all expectations...  With Boomer, time to adjust to his new home was literally measured in seconds.   Normally any new cat in the house will evoke at least a hissing response by the others lasting at least several days.  Not so with Boomer....  Instead, he instantly made friends and was immediately accepted by all. Come to find out; that was another of his signature trademarks. He had an irresistible charm that even the other cats couldn't ignore.

He followed me everywhere right from the very first day of bringing him home, and each  evening would "spread eagle" himself  with both front paws draped over my arm while watching TV. He was also quite "talkative" and even the first day would howl til he got what he wanted.  By the end of the first day, I had aptly renamed him to Boomer.

For whatever reason, Boomer seemed to instantly bond within the first 5 seconds of meeting him.  Took me a little longer, but by the end of the 2nd day, it was apparent he was something very special. By day number 3,  we had become inseparable.

The shelter knew very little about him, other than he was found as a Warren Maine stray that was turned in to the shelter August 25, 2005. Hard to believe with such a personality he was passed over for adoption for 4 months. Since he was a stray, we can only guess he was perhaps only 2 years old by the time I got him (read: he adopted me)...

I've had many cats over my lifetime including many cute kittens.  Though I'd mourn the loss of any of them, none did I ever truly bond with. 

It's almost impossible to describe him and what made him so special. This is about the best I can do with it.

Boomer was  a "high energy" little guy.  Tail always wagging with a big world to explore, and anything I was doing fueled his fascination even more.  He had two modes of "operation":  He was either "On" or "Off".  Either just a bundle of energy or totally crashed in your arms (his favorite sleeping position).  Not much else in between.... You almost couldn't get anything done with him around, as he always had to be involved.

By the same token, he also loved to go exploring, and here there are literally miles of open fields, snowmobile/hiking trails and woods.   I always had a radio transmitting collar on him in case he got lost and  and he'd follow me back through the fields just bouncing his way through the tall grass.  In some respects, he behaved somewhat more like a puppy dog than a cat....

He loved (read: would "kill") for pizza, sliced turkey and chicken.  Anything he saw me eating, he just had to try and would just haunt me until he got whatever he wanted. He was persistent & wouldn't give up until he finally got his way.

His personality is also hard to describe...   It can't even be put into words....    It's not any one particular thing.... Part body language, always desiring to be your pal & get close as possible. He had a way of looking at you that communicated his deep affection.... almost as if reading your mind.  It's almost impossible to quantify all that made him "Boomer", but perhaps describing how other people reacted to him can better convey part of his personality...

On both  occasions where he went to the vet, the entire staff just all had to come out and meet him.  He had an uncanny way of winning over anyone's heart.  A lot of it was his body language and total acceptance of anyone. You could pick him up and carry him anywhere... Unlike most cats, he'd never try to squirm away - even after 5 minutes, but instead he loved the attention. Finally setting him down again was limited only by your own endurance and never by any desire on his part to squirm free  !   On some of his long expeditions, I'd end up carrying him for a mile and a half.   A pet carrier simply wasn't necessary....  Consequently, on visiting the vet, I'd just carry him in my arms  and plunk him on the receptionists counter where he'd immediately make friends with everyone he encountered. Within seconds, they were like "putty" in his paws....

All my neighbors adored him. He'd visit with them on a regular basis and they'd call to relate their experiences with him.

Though I had 5 other cats, everyone wanted to come over and either visit or play only with Boomer. 

Anyone who ever met him, wanted to take him home with them. That's not an exaggeration, and in fact it was a real concern !

Whatever charm he used on others used to win them over, paled in comparison to the way he exhibited his affection for me.....  He had a way of making eye contact  that spoke volumes......  Just about all pets in effect trade their affections for food and shelter. Not so with Boomer.... He just loved you for who you were (his tummy full or not)

 

What made him the way he was ?  I dunno exactly....... but assume two major components was his genetic personality makeup, in conjunction with being raised by a very loving family.

Well within a short month, I had firmly bonded with him.... 

Sadly, Sept 5, 2006 after having him for only 9 months, he did not come home by dusk.  About 8:30 pm I went out with the radio Direction Finder and found his transmitter collar 500 ft from the house. I thought I heard a faint meow - perhaps his final last call for help as he was being dragged away by a Coyote through the thick brush. Found bits of fur from Boomer and his killer,  and the fur confirmed a Coyote to be his demise.  Sadly this was only about 200 feet from where Kelley also was taken by a coyote only 10 days earlier.

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I never thought it possible to bond with an animal to that degree....  Of all the pets I've had  over my many years, never has it happened before. Though I loved him in a different way, I loved him every bit as much as I did my own Mother....  He was that special & the bond was that strong..... 

Bonding is a wonder experience...   Once bonded, it cannot be broken. Not even death can break it - it is eternal.   but it is also sometimes a double edge sword......    for I can now relate to all the emotions and grief that any parent experiences over the loss of a child.  He might have only been a cute little black cat to anyone else, but to me, he was like a son....

Here it is more than a week later and I'm still devastated. It's as though a tremendous amount of positive energy has been sucked right out of the house...

If only I had gone out to find him and bring him back home 10 minutes earlier....

It's going to be a LONG time before I get over his loss... but I will NEVER forget him........

I can't bring him back, nor can I turn back the hands of time to have gone searching for him sooner. What's done is done....

The only meaningful tribute I can make in his memory is to continue to adopt other cats no one else wants and give them a good home. In a sense, they will owe their own good fortunes to Boomer.

Being an engineer by trade, I'm quite pragmatic and never really much believed in either people or animals returning.  Yet in light of the connection and bonding with Boomer and especially the way it happened the first day I met him, I'm forced to at least re-consider the possibility....... So strong was the bond,  that his spirit, energy or however else you choose to define it, continues on.  This was something else that goes far beyond just losing a beloved pet.  Even the way we first met defies all logic, as cats just don't behave that way.... Never have I even heard of any animal selecting their home and companion they wish to share their lives with in such a manner. It was like it was simply meant to be and governed by external forces beyond my level of understanding.  

Despite being extremely pragmatic in most things, for the past 40 years I've always been a firm believer in synchronicity.    Synchronicity and all the strange coincidences that had to occur even years earlier to make certain I was there on December 29, 2005 to meet him, is the reason me and Boomer were paired.  Far too strange a circumstance of events that all had to fall into place to lead up to the way I got him....  Course, my personal belief is that there's no such thing as just  strange sets of "coincidences".....  the two of us meeting was destined to be..... The "Lesson Plan" has been written, and when we start to deviate from the master script, synchronicity and sometimes almost unbelievable sets of "coincidences" will conspire to hold us on course along the path to which we have been assigned.  Perhaps that's the real reason and the only one that makes sense..... I learned additional valuable life lessons from that little black cat..... Though never suspected during the short time I had him, reflecting back, I 'm only now discovering what an amazing teacher he was.... With his "mission accomplished", perhaps he just moved on to his next assignment.....    who knows.....

What I do know is that when all is said & done, all that we've amassed in this life - homes, cars, financial wealth etc etc etc - even the shoes we wear .... we can't take with us. It all stays behind....... The only things we get to keep and bring with us on our final journey, are our memories and the lessons it took a lifetime to learn............

Though I will be adopting many others over the years, there is one "vacancy"  that will always be left open, reserved only for another "Boomer" .  Some where's out there,  there is another little "Boomer" where the "chemistry" will be just perfect....   He's probably not even born yet nor has a twist of fate landed him in the local shelter where we will be introduced...    Perhaps some day, he'll just show up on the doorstep....

Meanwhile,  I'll continue to search the shelters on a regular basis in hopes of finding another little guy who like his soul mate, will also be sitting atop a  shelter cage when I happen to walk through, observing me intently....    Something again will "click",  and just as before, he'll immediately somehow decide that "I'm it" ....  This little guy also won't take "No" for an answer.   Who knows:  fate or synchronicity will again come in to play to make certain our separate paths will cross.

If and when it happens again, think I'll name him Boomer.

Created: Sep 14, 2006
Last Modified Aug 25, 2007