RIP Pumpkin
Pumpkin called Syros Cats home for 11 years. When he was about eight weeks old, Pumpkin inadvertently hitched a ride in the engine of a car and fell out when the car stopped by the port in Finikas. Luckily, cat lovers were nearby and he was rescued. Remarkably there was nothing much wrong with him and a few weeks later, when his rescuers left, he came to live at Syros Cats. Always a bit of a fighter, we kept him in at night to protect him and his opponents. One evening, when he was being put inside, one of the helpers scooped him up and said ‘cmon Pumpkin into bed’. He was orange and white, so the name stuck!
Pumpkin was almost rehomed and had a passport ready to go. But a blood test revealed high levels of a coronavirus (which can migrate to FIP) and the adoption fell through. He didn’t suffer with his health in this regard but a nasty ear infection left him with a distinctive head tilt. Later on, the sun took its toll and Pumpkin had surgery to remove his nose and an eye which stopped the spread of skin cancer.
Pumpkin’s favourite hobby was stalking cats. You could see the calculation in his eyes. He was unstoppable and would practice fighting on a football and a 5-litre water bottle. Frosty was his enemy #1 for a long time, but when he retired due to advancing years, Pumpkin set his sights on Bailey, Grumpy and Jaffa! He loved to climb trees to better survey his territory and to sunbathe. A funny character, he would sometimes let you cuddle him but preferred to skulk around. When he wanted a cuddle he would push your elbow for attention and then settle in happily in the crook of your arm. These moments were bliss for both sides! He was also a champion biscuit maker! Despite getting a high-quality specialist urinary diet from us, he maintained a strange passion for bread! A nod, perhaps, to his scavenging days on the streets.
Pumpkin was off his food for a day or two so we guessed something was wrong. We were shocked when the vet discovered a large cancerous mass in his tummy area. He enjoyed a couple more naps in the sun, electric blankets in our rooms at night, with meds to keep him comfortable before we knew we had to let him go.
Pumpkin has made an impression on hundreds of volunteers and visitors and will be sorely missed. He was well photographed, however, and we have many photos to look back on, to keep his memory alive.
RIP to our pirate boy.