When I was getting ready to move to the UK to get married, I had to think of what to do with my cat. Believe me, I wanted to take him with me but there was a 6 month quarantine and I just didn't think he would make it through that. He was a very nervous cat and needed stability. I didn't think it was fair to him to do all that just to make me happy. He would have never survived. I didn't think finding a nice home for him would be a problem because so many of my friends were "cat people" and everyone loved Merlin.
Merlin was not just an ordinary cat. He was my life and my best friend. He was very smart and very magical. I got Merlin from a woman who rescued him from an outdoor life of eating garbage that he could find. The woman that saved him couldn't keep him, but she got him fixed for me and got all his shots. I took Merlin home right away. One look and it was true love.
When I got him home he was very scared. The place he had just come from was very loud and very smokey. He hid most of the time because they had their TV up loud. When I got him home he hid for a while. I could hear him at night when I was in bed. He was just too scared to come around. Then one day while I was on the couch, he peeked around the corner and slowly walked toward me. He jumped on the couch and he never left my side again.
We were inseperable. He was with me all the time and I didn't mind at all. He made friends with the neighbor cats and got a regular dose of catnip from a neighbor we all called "Cat Woman". He loved to be outside. One of his favorite places was under my big sage bush by the back door. He also loved to sun himself on the sidewalk.
Merlin was curious like all cats but even then he never bothered anything, including the tree I had for Yule. He just liked to sit under it and look up.
I had no idea that finding him a home would be such a problem, after all, I knew lots of people who loved cats and I was sure someone could take him and maybe find him a new home. Time was running out and my boxes were packed. No one would help me.
Finally, my chiropractor let me put up a small ad about Merlin on their bulletin board. Eventually someone called about him and I was so relieved. To make a long story short, they came over to see Merlin. He was always cautious of strangers and if he really didn't like them he wouldn't come out at all. The same was true with people who smoked. I guess he never forgot that. So, when these people came to see him he wouldn't come out. Now I know why.
My friend Sorcha took me to Vancouver Washington to take Merlin to his new home. She really liked Merlin so it was hard for her too. I told her to wait because if there was too much going on he would freak out. Then a bad thing happened.
Sorcha came in and said she was Merlin's aunt and that she would be coming to see him from time to time. The Oates' clearly didn't like the sound of this and they walked around trying to talk without us hearing. I had to pull Merlin out of the pet carrier. This was killing me. I found out later from the chiropractor's receptionist that they were terrified of Sorcha and because of that they wanted no further communication with me. We had already set it up so they would keep me informed from time to time about how he is getting along. They changed their minds and that night told me they had no intentions of ever contacting me again! What had I done???
I was hysterical. I cried and couldn't sleep, wondering what they were going to do with my cat. I would never hear anything about him again. They should have shot me.
After over three years and a million tears, I learned what became of my sweet Merlin.
It seems that after meeting Sorcha and being "threatened" with a visit from her was just more than the Oates' could take. They "knew" Sorcha was evil and satanic. (neither of us even believe in anything called satan) The woman, Gail Oates, was terrified and was sure that Merlin had been used as a familiar in some satanic rituals and was (in her words) a "demon cat"! I can't BELIEVE this!!! Here we are, almost to the year 2000 and people still think that way!!! I ask you...... does this look like a satanic cat???
Well, our mentally disturbed woman Gail apparently couldn't stand the fact that Merlin wouldn't come out from under the furniture except at night. She "knew" he was evil. He did the same thing with me for two weeks, but I am not a deranged psycho. Cats are nocturnal. Most people know that.
She couldn't take it anymore and had my beautiful baby Merlin destroyed. She said they gave him to the humane society and her husband said he "took care of it". She says she can still feel his presence in their house! GOOD! I hope he haunts them for the rest of their lives! I wish them nothing but bad luck and unhappiness. They could have called me and said they didn't want him. If I had to I could have stayed in the states until I found him a DECENT home. But they killed my cat.
I can't wait for Gail Oates to get her due karma. I just wish I could be there to see it.
Merlin, I am so sorry. I had no idea this would happen to you or I would never have left you. I miss you so much and not a day goes by that I don't cry about you, even after all these years. My only consolation is that you are not with those horrible people anymore. Merlin, please know I only had the best intentions. I would never have hurt you for the world. This is the only way I know how to say goodbye to you. I will always love you Merlin. I will never forget you.
