Midnight was a mostly black Persian cat with some chestnut tints that came to us from his birthplace at Hortham Hospital where my father worked. Because one of my father's influential colleagues wanted the kitten too in order to make sure we acquired him he was only 4 1/2 weeks old when he arrived and still not yet completely weaned. Although his parents were both mousers, Midnight was always a highly nervous and intelligent cat. Devising a salt seller as a feeding bottle I finished weaning him. He grew fast and regarded me as his parent. In this way we became very close. When the time was right he was neutered to improve him as a pet. My hobbies during late childhood were playing the piano and astronomy and Midnight copied these interests. He would gaze intently at the summer full Moon for a long time with fascination and sit precisely as a person at the piano (which I have never seen any other cat mimic) and play notes.
Despite hating snow his favourite time was Christmas ... because he adored roast turkey and chicken. After dinner he would sleep with a very full stomach and wear a festive hat all day. During autumn he liked playing with falling leaves and would continue to do this during wintertime whenever there was a wind. He regarded himself as above all other cats and would look them up and down with comically haughty disdain.
His character was always very loving and loyal. He never wanted much from this world ... just a little interesting food and to receive affection from us. He was completely harmless and whenever our pet budgie tried to annoy him by deliberately pushing a ping pong ball into his ear as he slept he would just ignore it or move away. All his life he kept himself immaculately clean and fastidiously avoided dirt of any nature. When he grew older his black whiskers turned white and he cried if he saw a suitcase. He could not bear to be left alone so I stayed home.
He was a baby to me and it was a deep shock when he very suddenly became panting and unable to move much. The vet diagnosed his heart was spent and he would not live long. After two miserable weeks of trying to escape the very warm summer weather by lying in shady places in the garden and hardly eating or drinking one Sunday evening he became worse. So I said the last rites by him and he knew I was deeply upset and gazed at me with his large dark blue soulful eyes. He died a few minutes later at about 9:40 pm. Then, something truly strange occurred. On the next night in my bedroom came the loud noise of heavy purring. I asked my mother if she too could hear it and she did. I can only deduce that he was trying to make me know he was happy. On July 23, 1979 he was buried under a large cherry tree at the far end of our rear garden by my mother as I was too ill from the after effects of a severe fever to do so myself.
His personality was like no other. He was silent, highly understanding and good. He is always with me. The best friend I ever had.
Despite hating snow his favourite time was Christmas ... because he adored roast turkey and chicken. After dinner he would sleep with a very full stomach and wear a festive hat all day. During autumn he liked playing with falling leaves and would continue to do this during wintertime whenever there was a wind. He regarded himself as above all other cats and would look them up and down with comically haughty disdain.
His character was always very loving and loyal. He never wanted much from this world ... just a little interesting food and to receive affection from us. He was completely harmless and whenever our pet budgie tried to annoy him by deliberately pushing a ping pong ball into his ear as he slept he would just ignore it or move away. All his life he kept himself immaculately clean and fastidiously avoided dirt of any nature. When he grew older his black whiskers turned white and he cried if he saw a suitcase. He could not bear to be left alone so I stayed home.
He was a baby to me and it was a deep shock when he very suddenly became panting and unable to move much. The vet diagnosed his heart was spent and he would not live long. After two miserable weeks of trying to escape the very warm summer weather by lying in shady places in the garden and hardly eating or drinking one Sunday evening he became worse. So I said the last rites by him and he knew I was deeply upset and gazed at me with his large dark blue soulful eyes. He died a few minutes later at about 9:40 pm. Then, something truly strange occurred. On the next night in my bedroom came the loud noise of heavy purring. I asked my mother if she too could hear it and she did. I can only deduce that he was trying to make me know he was happy. On July 23, 1979 he was buried under a large cherry tree at the far end of our rear garden by my mother as I was too ill from the after effects of a severe fever to do so myself.
His personality was like no other. He was silent, highly understanding and good. He is always with me. The best friend I ever had.
Midnight was a mostly black Persian cat with some chestnut tints that came to us from his birthplace at Hortham Hospital where my father worked. Because one of my father's influential colleagues wanted the kitten too in order to make sure we acquired him he was only 4 1/2 weeks old when he arrived and still not yet completely weaned. Although his parents were both mousers, Midnight was always a highly nervous and intelligent cat. Devising a salt seller as a feeding bottle I finished weaning him. He grew fast and regarded me as his parent. In this way we became very close. When the time was right he was neutered to improve him as a pet. My hobbies during late childhood were playing the piano and astronomy and Midnight copied these interests. He would gaze intently at the summer full Moon for a long time with fascination and sit precisely as a person at the piano (which I have never seen any other cat mimic) and play notes.
Despite hating snow his favourite time was Christmas ... because he adored roast turkey and chicken. After dinner he would sleep with a very full stomach and wear a festive hat all day. During autumn he liked playing with falling leaves and would continue to do this during wintertime whenever there was a wind. He regarded himself as above all other cats and would look them up and down with comically haughty disdain.
His character was always very loving and loyal. He never wanted much from this world ... just a little interesting food and to receive affection from us. He was completely harmless and whenever our pet budgie tried to annoy him by deliberately pushing a ping pong ball into his ear as he slept he would just ignore it or move away. All his life he kept himself immaculately clean and fastidiously avoided dirt of any nature. When he grew older his black whiskers turned white and he cried if he saw a suitcase. He could not bear to be left alone so I stayed home.
He was a baby to me and it was a deep shock when he very suddenly became panting and unable to move much. The vet diagnosed his heart was spent and he would not live long. After two miserable weeks of trying to escape the very warm summer weather by lying in shady places in the garden and hardly eating or drinking one Sunday evening he became worse. So I said the last rites by him and he knew I was deeply upset and gazed at me with his large dark blue soulful eyes. He died a few minutes later at about 9:40 pm. Then, something truly strange occurred. On the next night in my bedroom came the loud noise of heavy purring. I asked my mother if she too could hear it and she did. I can only deduce that he was trying to make me know he was happy. On July 23, 1979 he was buried under a large cherry tree at the far end of our rear garden by my mother as I was too ill from the after effects of a severe fever to do so myself.
His personality was like no other. He was silent, highly understanding and good. He is always with me. The best friend I ever had.
Despite hating snow his favourite time was Christmas ... because he adored roast turkey and chicken. After dinner he would sleep with a very full stomach and wear a festive hat all day. During autumn he liked playing with falling leaves and would continue to do this during wintertime whenever there was a wind. He regarded himself as above all other cats and would look them up and down with comically haughty disdain.
His character was always very loving and loyal. He never wanted much from this world ... just a little interesting food and to receive affection from us. He was completely harmless and whenever our pet budgie tried to annoy him by deliberately pushing a ping pong ball into his ear as he slept he would just ignore it or move away. All his life he kept himself immaculately clean and fastidiously avoided dirt of any nature. When he grew older his black whiskers turned white and he cried if he saw a suitcase. He could not bear to be left alone so I stayed home.
He was a baby to me and it was a deep shock when he very suddenly became panting and unable to move much. The vet diagnosed his heart was spent and he would not live long. After two miserable weeks of trying to escape the very warm summer weather by lying in shady places in the garden and hardly eating or drinking one Sunday evening he became worse. So I said the last rites by him and he knew I was deeply upset and gazed at me with his large dark blue soulful eyes. He died a few minutes later at about 9:40 pm. Then, something truly strange occurred. On the next night in my bedroom came the loud noise of heavy purring. I asked my mother if she too could hear it and she did. I can only deduce that he was trying to make me know he was happy. On July 23, 1979 he was buried under a large cherry tree at the far end of our rear garden by my mother as I was too ill from the after effects of a severe fever to do so myself.
His personality was like no other. He was silent, highly understanding and good. He is always with me. The best friend I ever had.
