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Turkish Van [See My CatsterPlus Photo Book]

Picture of ANGEL OLIVER, a male Turkish Van

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Home:Silver Springs Shores, FL

Sex: Male

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"Hugging Mommy"

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Nicknames:
Oliver Barrett Brossart ... Named for Ryan O'Neal's character in "Love Story"

Birthday:
April 15th 1988

Arrival Story:
Oliver was born April 15, 1988, but came to us in the Fall of 1990. We were newlyweds, and this was our first "together pet". His name was Fluffy ... and we rescued him when his owner (whose children had grown tired of the new cat) planned to have him put down. He was only 1-1/2 years old! So even though our apartment at that time didn't allow pets, we brought him home and tacked down the window shades so our landlady wouldn't see him. It didn't take long for us to figure out that "Fluffy" just wasn't a well-suited name for such a regal animal. So we began calling him Oliver ... short for Oliver Barrett, Ryan O'Neal's character from Love Story. Rescue cats are not the easiest creatures to live with. For one thing, the children who had first owned Oliver had picked him up by his tail, snapping it at the base. This was the source of Oliver's life-long dislike of children. When company came and brought little ones, Oliver hid under our bed until the coast was clear! To tell the truth, he wasn't even that crazy about me or Steve those first few years. More than anything, he "tolerated" us. He made that terrible feline hissing sound whenever we even attempted to come near him, causing Steve to give him the nickname "Hiss Head". And Heaven help the unfortunate who actually picked him ... immediate embedded back claws! But in time, Oliver began to trust us. And it was a wonderful day when I was sitting on the sofa watching television, and he crawled up onto my lap and layed down. After that, he was a loving companion, especially wanting to sit in my lap when I was working on the computer. And he loved to hop in the shower with me. Most cats don't particularly like water, but Oliver sure did. He even came to love sleeping in bed with us, usually sharing my pillow! But even before he came to love us so much, he always adored his "little brother" ... our miniature Dachschund, Rudy. At first, because Rudy was so tiny when we first brought him home, Oliver thought he was a mouse, because he would try to "bat" him around. But the first time Rudy went rolling across the kitchen floor, Oliver realized his mistake and became a protective older brother to him after that. They were the best of buds!

Bio:
I never thought about having to lose Oliver. When he became very ill on Friday, February 18, 2005, Steve saw that this might be the end before I was willing to admit it to myself. Oliver layed in the floor, unable to move, and when he wanted a drink, he literally had to drag himself to his water bowl. Steve called our vet, and then came into the living room where I was holding and gently rocking him. He told me that the doctor didn't think it looked good, and he felt that our little boy might have suffered a stroke, and that's why he couldn't move very much. Steve got out his carrier, and I placed him in it, giving him a kiss and a hug. Thank God, Steve was stronger than I was, and he stayed with Oliver to the very end. He passed away in the vet's office with Steve sitting right there petting him. The doctor had given him a tranquilizer, but they didn't have to give him the last shot to take him to the Rainbow Bridge. When the doctor came back in to check on him, Steve told him that he thought he was already gone ... and he was. We didn't want to bury Ollie, because we know we'll eventually move and we wouldn't want to leave him where we lived then. So we had the vet's office handle the cremation, and kept him in an urn in our living room. Oliver will always be a part of our lives, and I still can't think of him or see a photo of him without breaking down. We miss him so much. So did Rudy, who for the next two years would walk from room to room looking for him. we lost our precious little Rudy on the morning of August 2, 2007. His heart gave out at the age of 15-1/2. Steve built a little casket for him, and we chose a beautiful shaded spot in our back yard for him. We placed Oliver's ashes in with him, and now they rest together forever ... brothers and best friends here on earth AND at the Rainbow Bridge.

Forums Motto:
Hiss Head