Cody loved looking out of the window. He was fascinated by the falling leaves, and would paw at the window. We wondered if he mistook the leaves for birds!! His other favourite pastime was watching sports events on the television. He would follow Charlie upstairs after dinner, settling down to watch whatever sport happened to be on, although baseball seemed to be his favourite.
Cody showed off his athletic skills in many ways, his most memorable acrobatic move being a perfect somersault. He was very social, and happily welcomed visitors. He immediately took to our dear friend Marybeth Haines, curling up behind her on the sofa. He would then proceed to give her a hair wash. This became a ritual not only with Marybeth, but all guests. However, he seemed to prefer the ladies with long hair.
Mornings were my special time with Cody. He would come into the bedroom, stretch out, turning from side to side, waiting for his daily massage, until it was time for him to ''help'' make the bed. After playing with, and ruffling the sheets, he would settle down for a short nap. Trying to work around him proved to be quite challenging, as once he had made himself comfortable, there was no moving him. However, one look with those beautiful eyes, and the bed making could wait!
Cody taught me that quality time spent with him took priority over housekeeping tasks that could wait. His loyalty and affection were such precious gifts, and every minute spent with him was filled with love, laughter, and thankfulness that he was a beloved member of our family. When we were out for any length of time, he would take a small toy lamb from the bed, and leave ''Molly'' in the front hall. She was his security blanket until our return; his way of showing us that we were missed.
Cody had his last annual checkup at Creditview early in 2016, and was given a clean bill of health. A couple of months later, while checking his litter box, a trace of blood was visible. Rather than take him to Creditview again so soon, we brought him to a nearby Cat Hospital. He was given a Vitamin B12 injection. The vet thought that a minor infection may have caused the bleeding, and the B12 would energize him. We came home, leaving him on his favourite stool at the living room window to watch the birds. An hour later, Cody was taken from us. The injection may have caused a stroke, and because we were not with him, we can only hope and pray that he went peacefully.
