Comstock Crew - Syracuse Cats

HONEY

Honey turned up in my yard in October, 2007. She was very small and scared. When I’m feeding multiple cats, usually putting down more bowls than there are cats eliminates conflict. A dominant tom may decide to chase another cat from one bowl to show who’s in charge, but there is another full bowl for the smaller cat to go to. But Honey wouldn’t play this game. She would defend her original bowl against anyone. I started feeding her in a separate part of the yard to avoid conflict. I’d call “C’mere, honey” and she’d run over to me. And that’s how she got her name. It’s rather ironic, since she is a bit of a Mean Girl.

With the help of local cat rescue groups, I was able to get her shots and have her spayed. Shortly afterwards, she became very sick with diarrhea. I had to keep her inside for three weeks to give her medication. Originally, I had planned to release her, but she didn't want to go. She was afraid of my house cats, but more afraid of the outdoors.

I originally planned to foster her only until I found her a good home. She had other ideas. She violently resisted any friendly approaches by potential adopters. I decided to display her at an adoption event on Saturdays at a local pet store. After three outings, I realized that this wouldn’t work. First, she had assaulted Santa Claus. Then she reacted so violently to a nice little girl who was only looking at her that she got all the other cats hissing and yowling. It was clear no one would get adopted when she was there. So, she’s still my foster more than a decade later.

At home, she was afraid of my other cats, Shadow, James, and Max. At night, she would wake me up howling in a distant part of the house. I’d put her in a cat bed and bring her into the bedroom and she’d go to sleep. I wound up putting the bed on a bookcase shelf and hanging a towel in front of her. Of course, the other cats knew she was there, but she could pretend they didn’t. (She still uses that little bed, but it’s next to my computer now.)

Fortunately, my other cats didn’t dislike her at all. Shadow maintained an aloofness appropriate to her status as Queen and Senior Cat. James befriended her. At first, Honey didn’t want any of it, but James persisted. He’d curl up next to her, she’d snarl, and he’d purr himself to sleep. After a while, she’d curl up next to him. Max thought it was great fun to run up to her and poke her until she would chase him. Honey eventually realized that this was fun.

In 2011, Blackjack joined the household. Honey seemed to enjoy not being junior cat. She tried to boss Blackjack around. Fortunately for him, he’s a big male with plenty of combat experience. Fortunately for her, he’s an easygoing guy who hasn’t killed her.

As the years passed, first Shadow, than James and Max died. Honey became Senior Cat. She has become meaner toward Blackjack, but he mostly just ignores her. I feel sorry for him – his friends are all dead and Honey won’t socialize with him. Both cats are very affectionate with me, but not with each other.

In 2014, Honey was diagnosed with feline asthma. She has responded well to Flovent via an inhaler. In 2017, Honey was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. She received the Thyro-Cat I-131 treatment and is cured.

Honey is not an easygoing creature, but she seems happy most of the time. She wouldn’t have lasted this long outside.

Honey died on May 24, 2020, the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. She had been diagnosed with a lung tumor in mid-February. The tumor had not been visible in an x-ray taken in December.

Three surgeons said it was inoperable, and an oncologist knew of no other treatments. So she died.

The coronavirus shutdown complicated things greatly. First her doctors hid and refused to see her. Then I had to wait outside while they took her in to the doctor.

She was a tough girl until the very end. She is survived by Blackjack, the last member of the Comstock Crew living with me.

I’ll never forget my Mean Girl.