I have suffered a personal tragedy this week and all I can think of is that people who have criticized Marley & Me, especially those who can’t understand why the family would keep such a bothersome, out of control animal as a pet, have never really owned a pet. Earlier this week, I had to have my tortoise shell cat Patches put down, she had been suffering from a hyperthyroid problem for the last six months, which my wife and I had worked very hard at getting under control, but Wednesday, Patches started suffering from heart failure. My wife and I were with her at the end.
Looking back over the past fifteen years with Patches, I should never have kept her. She was anti-social, agoraphobic and distrustful of everyone. What do you do with an animal that likes to stick her head under lamp shades to stare at lit light bulbs, thinks carpeting is the perfect substitute for litter and the best place to sleep is in a shoe box in a closet. The first time we moved she hid under a blanket for two weeks, only coming out at night when everyone else was asleep to eat and go the bathroom.
And yet I loved her. She was born under my bed and had mental issues and medical problems from day one, but she was a member of the family and I took care of her. Towards the end she would come up and cuddle with me on the couch and I cherish the thought that when things were going down hill for her and she felt miserable, that she finally trusted me enough to seek the comfort of my presence. I will miss her terribly and perfectly understand why the Gorman’s have immortalized Marley in a book and now a film.
