Toulouse Mechtenberg

1 March 2011 – 15 January 2024

Never thought I’d say goodbye so soon… But like Billy said, “Only the good die young”… You were our blessing in disguise after we found out Louie’s battle with canine renal failure was at its end. I happened to stumble across a Facebook post about you on my apartment’s community page. You were posted as a “Low maintenance fat cat, suppppper cuddly named Toulouse.” I fell in love with you the moment we met and you were officially mine on 5 November 2020.

Can’t help but think about all your funny habits and quirks. You never failed to communicate your wants with your meows or looks. As vocal as you could be, you were also a master at speaking volumes with silence. From meowing at 5am because you were hungry to sitting next to the door to your litter box with silent eye daggers indicating your box was not clean to your liking (despite having a Litter Robot).

I remember quietly sneaking into the kitchen for a midnight snack in attempts to avoid waking you; Only for me to turn around – within milliseconds – to you rubbing your chin on the door frame as if you were saying “I would love a midnight treat too, mum.” I’ll miss the way you’d meow in excitement when your food was ready or the way your tummy flopped from side to side when you ran to your feeding spot on the bay window.

I’ll miss your very particular nature… You ate Darwin’s Raw Chicken. It had to be served in a glass bowl, microwaved for no more than 15 seconds and a Glucosamine joint supplement mixed in THOROUGHLY. If your food was heated for too long, you would eat around the cooked chicken as a last resort. Otherwise, you would sit by your food bowl and stare at me in the kitchen until I re-prepared your food to your liking. Sometimes Grandma wouldn’t mix it right or forgot to warm it up and you’d come to me as if you were a Karen complaining to the manager.

You also never failed to meow at your canine sister, Rory Lou, when she irritated you. Even if she jumped on the opposite side of the bed, you’d meow as if you were saying, “Mum she’s touching me!”

One of your favourite habits was to steal my spot for its warmth, especially the morning after a night’s sleep. You would refuse to move even when I pretended to lay on top of you. When I would move you, you would continue to move back several times – sometimes dodging my arms like a rugby player pushing through a tackle and other times, kicking and screaming like a child being told it’s time to go home.

But on a sweeter note, I’ll forever remember the way your face lit up to catnip, Greenies, and Bisque Delectables. You loved your heated cat bed and looked like a king in your stroller on walks. But the thing I’ll miss most are your biscuit kneading, forehead nuzzles and deep purrs and chirps when you were given attention. You were the biggest lover and you were always down for pets and snuggles. You always came when I called your name, jumped in bed and plopped yourself into me as close as you could. I loved when you’d stretch out your arm and pull my hand with your paw for more pets. I’ll miss all the ways you slept in different contorted positions, but my favourite will always be when you’d hold my arm like a child sleeping with a teddy…

I could go on talking about you, but I’ll end it with this – Adopting you was the best decision I ever made. I’ll forever cherish the 3 years we had together. Thank you for always being there with open paws, comfort and support when I needed you. I’ll love you forever. RIP Toulouse, my French lover boy ❤️