Honouring Freddy Becker — Black Creek Mobile Veterinary Services

2009 - May 16, 2024

My dearest Freddy,

It has been a couple of weeks now since I said good bye to you, and I guess the pain is getting less, maybe a bit softer around the edges. But sweet boy, I miss you so much.

You used to run with the neighborhood gang here, but in the cold of winter you chose to come and live with us. I have a vivid memory of coming home from work one snowy day and you came running across the road to greet me. You jumped straight into my arms. Probably I bent down and picked you up, but in my mind, you jumped. We started out calling you the friendly one, or just Friendly. We changed it to Freddy when we realized you were permanent. At that time, we thought we already had a house full of cats, but you proved there was room for one more.

You had to fight for your life even after moving in with us. You were a scrapper. We had to deal with some horrendous infections. Thanks to everyone at Baden Veterinary Hospital. They never gave up on you.

There were so many precious things that endeared you to me. Sometimes, when you were ready to come in, you would come barrelling across the back yard like a freight train. I would open the door and you would slide all the way to the front of the house.

You used to scratch at the door like a dog to get in or out.

You used to sit and stare at me with such intensity. Eventually I would say… what do you want Freddy? Then.. show me. You wouldn’t move until I actually got up from the chair . Then you would lead me on a winding journey, sometimes to the door, but most often to the food dish.

Freddy had some issues with food the last couple of years. Usually, he would have a huge appetite and would eat like a horse. Then, for no reason I could discover, he would go completely off his food. I would be at my wits end wondering what I could get him to eat. It was not unusual for there to be three different kinds of food on the floor and he wouldn’t touch any of them. Sometimes I would hold out two open cans and ask him to pick one..he liked this game. He would sniff at both of them and then duck his head down and bump it up at one of the cans. I think it was the game more than a choice. He didn’t always eat the chosen one.