May 08, 2024 by Kaleigh

Ranga was the very first neighbor to welcome us when we moved into our new home. It was ‘love at first sight’ and we immediately formed a strong bond. His daily visits became longer and somehow we found ourselves letting him inside our house and inside our hearts. He became my best friend and I couldn’t imagine my life without him. As fate would have it, his original family were moving away and had noticed how much time he spent with us so asked us if we would adopt him and his brother so they could stay in their neighborhood. We gladly obliged and became cat parents overnight!

Ranga was our ‘special boy’. He had such a unique and wonderful personality. He was an “outdoor cat” at his core and although it gave me so much anxiety roaming the streets as he did, he wouldn’t have had it any other way. We even tried putting kitty litter inside the house but he would only go outside – come rain, hail or shine. We enjoyed nightly walks around our neighborhood as a family as part of our bedtime routine. He would make us laugh, as when it was windy, he would get the “zoomies” and act possessed. He was “street-smart” and his bravery and curiosity led him on many great adventures. He had a wild and feral side and was good at hunting. He loved to bring us gifts (we did not find this amusing). Ironically, he wasn’t that great at indoor games as he would lose interest very quick, but he did like to play cat games on our tv. He loved to explore and there was not a nook, cranny or surface of our house left without his approval. He wasn’t your typical ‘sit in a box’ cat but always found an interesting place to curl up for a nap. He was an independent thinker and we couldn’t convince him to do anything that wasn’t his idea. He was very vocal and could be very demanding in order to get his way. He loved spending time with us and always knew when we needed his emotional support.

Our hearts broke when a biopsy taken during dental surgery detected cancer. Ranga was diagnosed with Squamous cell carcinoma (the most common oral tumor seen in cats) and was given weeks left to live. He showed such strength and resilience, adapting to every new challenge thrown his way just so we could have more time together. He never gave up. His big, wonderful, weirdo ‘orange cat’, loving personality should never have had to deal with such an aggressive disease. It wasn’t fair. I always wish I could’ve met him sooner so that I could have loved him longer. He gave me 9 + years of a love I have never known and I am going to spend the rest of my life missing him so much.

Ranga, I thank you for choosing to spend your life with me and I promise to never forget you. You were the best cat, my one true love and soul mate, and I will love you always and forever.

Our sweet boy