A few hours ago, I got off the phone with our trusted veterinarian, Dr. Rosalyn MacDonald, having just booked Mulder’s final appointment at the Bytown Cat Hospital for January 6 at 10AM.

For those of you who haven’t met Mulder (named for Fox Mulder of X-Files fame), he’s a small black and white cat with a pink nose. His paw pads are a blend of pink and black blotches and his belly is all white. He has been our beloved friend since 1995 when I picked him out at the Humane Society and pedwar chose him to be the newest addition to our family.

From the moment we got him home, we knew we had someone special. He could fit in my palm, but had enough attitude for five cats twice his size. He took over. In the first few days, he amazed us with great feats such as jumping from a perch 30″ off the floor to the top shelf of a closet, covering a good four horizontal feet, all so he could knock all the board games off that shelf. His intelligence was apparent, too. Like any kitten, he clawed at his toys, but his claws were never used on us, not even when playing. He charmed his way into our hearts, spending evenings on the couch with us, half of him on me, the other half on pedwar. He knew we were his.

Mulder’s intrepid nature also caused us a few scares over the years. During his first summer with us, I accidentally left a screenless window open. By the time we discovered it, our little Mul was gone, disappeared into the night. I was beside myself with fear that our little friend was lost, or worse, that I would find his broken body on the street. Thankfully, he had found a safe spot under a parked car. When we found him, he was scared — little pink nose glowing red — but with a little coaxing, he did his patented Mulder flop into my palm. I still remember the relief I felt as I pulled him out and held him.

As Mul grew, it became clear that he was the German Shepherd of the cat world. He would do periodic patrols of the house, from window to window, door to door, making sure that everything was in order. He would spend his days watching the world go by from windows, alerting us to anything out of the ordinary. When Bobo joined us in 1998, Mul began a mentor-ship program, eventually leading to Bobo’s deputization, and a reduction in Mulder’s workload.

Mul’s devotion to patrolling spanned three residences. In each place, our bed was the centre of his world. He slept by my feet or sometimes by pedwar’s head, always with his gaze towards the door. When Trish was recovering from some minor surgery, years ago, he spent all his time in bed with her, keeping her company as she recovered. Through each of our two moves, it was obvious how the reassembly of the bed served to calm him, providing a clear signal that this new place is now our home.

Mul won’t get to watch us pack for our next move or explore the new house later this year. He has been struggling with a thyroid condition and renal failure for the last few years, in a battle to find the right dose of medications. For the last few years, his good days were greatly outnumbering his bad days, but more recently the balance has shifted. He’s now suffering minor seizures at least two or three times per week and his stomach is constantly upset, preventing him from eating well. His constant pleas to be held, comforted, and reassured in the arms that have loved him for so many years are now telling us that he knows it’s time to go.

Mulder is my first pet and it’s breaking my heart to have to say good-bye to him, but we can’t allow him to suffer any further. I thought this would be easier than when we lost Bobo last year since we’ve had time to work-up to it and since Mulder is a genuinely old cat, but I’m finding it to be just as hard. Mulder is… I can’t find words…. He’s a 1o-pound cat that will leave a mile-wide hole in his wake. Our home will feel empty for a long time without him.

If you have a pet, cherish him or her while you can. Mul, you’ll always be our Number One Bear. I hope you know what you’ve meant to us.

Some of Mul’s nicknames: Mulder Bear, Number One Bear, Mulder T. Bear, Mul, Darth Mul, Mulder Berry, Mulder Berry Bush, Shrub, T-Bear, Bul Head, Mul Face, Smallish Bear, Mully, Stinker Bear, Ranch Bear, Bear Cub, Shrubbish, Wee Bear