Farewell Stanley

last night i learned that Stanley, the cat who first weaseled his way into my heart, passed away yesterday. he was 16 years old. his health was in question a few weeks ago but i hadn’t realized at the time how dire it was and i’m truly sorry i didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. oh Stanny, you heartbreaker you.

Stanley first became a big part of my life around 2004 and he lived with me for four years. he was the first cat that i lived with, the first cat i practiced photography on and the first cat that helped me understand the world from a cat’s perspective.

at 19 pounds, Big Stan was quite the presence. his soft white fur reminded me of a bunny and his patchy markings were very bovine. his big beautiful expressive green eyes were my favourite feature of his.

he wasn’t the most affectionate cat…some might call him cantankerous, but Stanny and i were friends…as long as i didn’t touch his big belly!

he ran into the kitchen at the very sound of the can opener in use (hoping for tuna juice), he loved to squish himself into the smallest of boxes, sleep in the bathroom sink and he had a bit of a shoe fetish.

he was a very vocal cat and i will always be able to hear his “MMMM-ROURRRRR-WROOOOOOOOOOORW!” and his guttural vibrato in my mind…forever. and that will make me smile.

mostly an indoor car, Stanley was allowed an outdoor adventure in the backyard every now and then. but we didn’t fully trust him, so we put him on a harness and a long leash. but the Houdini that he was, he got out of it every time…and we never figured out how he did it!

he survived meeting Tichka, Cameron the hyper new kitten and Little Dude invading his territory. the last 3 years of his life, Stanley reigned in his own kingdom with Scott. i would like to think that a small part of him missed the rest of the gang…but probably not.

Scott, you gave Stanley an amazing life and we will miss him too.

Marcia, Boogie, Smeagol and The Minkers xoxo

he had the most gorgeous green eyes.

when Stanley met Tichka…it was NOT love at first sight.

but they played eventually…

and explored the world together. Stanny was such a handsome boy! he loved squishing himself into small boxes...

sleeping in the bathroom sink…

and he had an unabashed shoe fetish.

i learned so much about viewing the world from a cat’s perspective from Stanley.

always so expressive, you could always tell when he wasn’t in a good mood.

good mood or bad, whatever you do…DO NOT TOUCH HIS BELLY! (although it was hard to resist at times).

Tanny the snuggle bunny with the softest fur.

when Cameron came into Stanley’s life, it took time for him to adjust to her kittenish antics.

but we enjoyed many an entertaining cat fights as their relationship grew.

eventually there came a time where they all co-existed in peace…especially when treats were on the menu.

he loved relaxing in the backyard…

but we didn’t always trust him to stay in the yard, so we harnessed him on a long leash. Houdini got out of it EVERY TIME! and we never figured out how.

Stanny once enjoyed a long weekend in Muskoka…lucky cat. Stanny did his best to put up with the newest invader of his world…Little Dude. this is one of my favourite Stanny outtakes.

Scott, you gave your buddy an amazing 16 years.

he loved relaxing in his basket in the bedroom window.

Stanny, you taught me so much about cats. as i’m going through these old photos, i can really see how my work has evolved. thank you for being my first kitty model and friend. i will miss you always. xoxo