February 1997 – May 2012

Grendel was the alpha male of the house and had some health problems in his life (hip surgery for arthritis, severe asthma, bladder and kidney stones, and an intestinal disease).

He was a totally selfish attention sponge (he couldn’t get enough lovin’), but he was also a very sweet cat who enjoyed being around people.  And I don’t just mean me and my close friends — Grendel liked anyone; he never met a stranger.

He was very laid back and took everything in stride, which meant he was the first to investigate new things and meet new people.

Grendel fought with his asthma each and every day, but he was a winner and didn’t let it slow him down much.  He took his meds twice a day like a good boy and, although he sometimes just didn’t want to deal with it, he almost always sat patiently and took his medication with dignity and unflappability.

He was also the master of the silent meow — the strongest weapon in a cat’s arsenal — yet had no problem truly voicing his opinion when it was necessary.

Grendel liked to stay “under foot.”  This almost always ensured he’d get stepped on or booted or otherwise physically contacted and could therefore look forward to much deserved love and affection.

Grendel and Kako were an item — or so she thought.  Kako fell in love with Grendel at an early age and was his constant companion (he would have said she was a stalker) since then.  He was very good with her and took a lot of her abuse (such as her lying on top of him and not moving while he had an asthma attack or kneading on him when she was getting comfortable).  But sometimes he hit his limit and had to smack her around a bit.  Yes, it was very unpleasant and not a comfortable subject, but our family has dirty little secrets like everyone else’s.  I believe I mentioned somewhere that it was a white-trash relationship.

Unfortunately Grendel’s lifelong health problems finally caught up to him.  Having taken systemic steroids for his entire life along with his immune system problem and intestinal issues and… well, let’s just say he was high maintenance his whole life, so it came as no surprise that his health started failing dramatically in the first few months of 2012.  Though weight loss and other issues abounded, he never truly suffered—I would never let that happen.

Pronunciation: GREN dl

Namesake: Grendel, the monster from Beowulf; so named because he was a tyrannical beast when he was a kitten: always into trouble (e.g., he liked to climb the wallpaper) and always the first to start a fight; also, he’s the alpha male who asserts his dominance with ruthlessness sans excess, a stark contrast to his otherwise overly lovable and easy going personality

Relationship: Loki‘s brother

Nicknames: Sponge; Roly-Poly; Grendelkitty; Grouch

Breed: Domestic Short Hair (DSH)

Color: Gray tabby

Gender: Male

Birthdate: February 15, 1997

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Photo Highlights:

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but we shared everything.

 

I love this picture!  I decreased the shutter speed on the camera and took the picture with incandescent light in the background — and what a result.  Oh, and he was very happy.

 

A very soft, natural light photo of him looking outside.

 

Do you think he was a happy cat?