missing gregory

Gregory is a cat owned by a neighbour. He was rescued from a vacant house. My neighbour, an elderly lady, has 2 dogs and 2 cats.. well, make that three, with gregory. She said gregory is not the typical cat who is playful and mingles with her other cats. He is quiet and though rescued, he acts as if in authority in the household. and maybe because my neighbour has many pets, gregory wanders from one house to another. and I am one of those that he visits occasionally. He either shows up by the back door or maybe if he notices that I am at the lounge, he knocks by the front door. Sometimes, I see him waiting for me from work and would run up ahead of me and wait til the door opens. When he's here at my place, he is just the quiet cat you would see. I bought him a couple of toys but after a while, he just walked away. He prefers to stay in one corner and later you will see him dozing off.

There were times I see his master walking with two dogs and they're heading to the park. About 2 or three metres away, I saw gregory trying to catch up his pace and following the dogs and his master. When he reached my flat, I was there at the back hanging my washings, he looked at me and I called his name. Upon hearing his name, he ran towards me and forgot everything that he is going for a walk at the park with his master. And gregory will run towards the back door and would not leave until the following day.

Having gregory inside my flat is just like having a companion. I talk to him and you would see him looking at me as if he understands what I was telling him. I tell him things which I wouldn't be telling other friends. He was my shock absorber. He knows if I am in good spirit and I'm sure he knows if I am pissed off at someone.

When it's time for me to go to bed, he stays outside of the room. What I like with this cat is sometime at early morning, maybe he wants to go back to his master, he will wake me up with his meowing by the door. If I manage to wake up, I open the door by the kitchen and let him go. But if I am too sleepy and didn't hear his meowing, gregory will still manage to go out of the house. He will pass through the opening through the kitchen window. How cool is that? He knows how to say goodbye.

It had been some time that I haven't seen gregory. I even bought new packets of cat food. One week, two weeks, a month. Two months. No gregory. One day, on my way out from the garage, I saw gregory's master. She was going to the park with her two dogs. No gregory. I ask her about gregory. Gregory is gone. He had a fight with another cat and has not been well afterwards. Barbara, gregory's master, has been bringing him to the vet everytime. But the vet said he has to be put down.

I miss gregory.