09/06/2022
Does not seem like a year has passed.
Sadly Mr. Fluffy died last night. On security cam video he can be seen in the barn apparently hunting mice starting about 6:30 PM but then a little before midnight he laid down by the cat door and never got up. I checked him over good but there are no bites or injuries. He had a small amount of blood on his nose (that appears to be post mortem from video) but no other signs.
He was at about a year old when I first took him to vet in 2012 so he was at least 10 years old. Old enough to be having health issues but generally nothing that serious. Maine c**n mixes are known for heart and lung issues. Usually there is some indication of a problem but from what I'm told, not always. Short of a full autopsy Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy seems like the most likely cause.
He just showed up one day demanding food and claimed the ranch as his. Given his habit of dominating all critters in eyesight including the wild ones, in some ways it is amazing he lived this long. But then almost none questioned his "authority". He will be missed. Here is the first picture I took of him back on 8/23/2012
