Zoey "Big Mama"

With tears in my eyes and a heavy heart, I am writing to honor the memory of Zoey "Big Mama." We have no idea when she was born since she was a rescue (One of a Kind Pets, Akron), but we estimated that she was around 8 years old when we adopted her on January 13, 2024. She passed away in Lauren and I's arms this morning, June 25, 2025. She was a fighter with an amazing attitude and a big heart. When we first adopted her, there was a mass on her back, near her spine that we had surgically removed. She recovered well, but about a year later (April 2025), we noticed a couple masses near her left armpit. When we took her to the doctor and they confirmed they were cancerous. They also noted some type of masses in her lungs. We decided to surgically remove the ones on her skin in the hope that the small masses in her lungs were some kind chronic illness that wasn't an immediate concern. She did a great job with the surgery and recovered well while Lauren and I were in North Carolina. She continued to be friendly and curious. Our doctor sent away the masses and informed us it is an aggressive form of skin cancer. Sadly, last week (June 18, 25), I noticed that the masses had come back around the same area. Since that point her health declined rapidly. The last several days she didn't drink or eat much of anything. She lost the ability to do her signature purr and she had shortness of breath. We took her to the vet this morning where they did some X-rays. The X-rays showed that she had a lot of fluid built up around her lungs that was constricting her breathing. This fluid is caused by cancer or heart failure. It also showed she had some cancer spread to her liver. If we removed the fluid, the cancer would cause it to come back. We could give her a pill to go with the fluid removal, but there's no guarantee it would stop the cancer and the longest she would have is 4-6 months. With that in mind, we thought it would be best to say our goodbyes and ease her pain forevermore. I know God will take excellent care of her in Heaven and I look forward to seeing that wonderful girl again someday.

The day before we took her in, we gave her the treat she loved most: tuna. When a tuna can is cracked, she always came running and crying for a bite. I was also able to spend a good bit of quality time with Zoey on her last day. In the morning, we did our normal work routine. I gave her plenty of pets on the desk and then she settled into my office chair for the rest of the day. She laid behind me while I worked and I would pet her whenever I turned around. That night, before we went to bed, I found her sitting alone at the top of the steps near the basement. I sat down next to her, petting her. She was happy to see me. She rubbed against my legs, nudging my calves with her head. She was doing her best to purr, but it was so quiet due to her limited lung capacity. I sat there for about 20 mins just loving her, telling her how much I loved her. Gosh, I miss her already.

Let us now talk about how amazing of a girl Zoey was and some of her personality traits. When we first saw her at the shelter, we were immediately drawn to her outgoing personality, friendliness, and the loudest purr we have ever heard! Here is a video of the first time we saw her at the shelter:

First purr at the shelter

Her purr was hilarious! People would hear her over calls or while I'd play video games and they would think there's some kind of pigeon in the house. That wasn't the only thing she did loudly though. She also ate and cleaned herself with these odd, loud sounds. Licking sounded like "lumh lumh lumh" and I can't begin to mimic how she sounded when she ate. But she loved her food and would inhale it without chewing. Sometimes, she would eat it too fast and then get sick. That didn't stop her for going back for more not long after! Her cry, however, wasn't nearly as loud. It was a short, sharp sound like "mah-a." Almost like she lost the sound partway through. All her noises were so peculiar, it just made us love her even more.

Purring at home

Zoey was a pure sun-baby. She loved laying in the sun and would follow the rays throughout the house. In the cooler months, the sun comes through the living room in the morning and office in the afternoon. She would soak up the morning rays in the living room, showing her full belly, and then would rest in the bedroom after lunch.

She wasn't as playful as her brother Xavier, but she definitely enjoyed playing. Her favorite game involved pulling a string underneath this green disc that had the same material as a rain coat, so it made a scratching noise. Kind of like a snake sliding away. She would run, pounce on the string real fast, and then dart away as if nothing happened. Or she would reach her paws underneath the disc to try and find the snake; sometimes, lifting up the disc with her mouth in the process! It was so precious to watch her pounce.

Zoey was also a very dedicated worker. Every morning we had the same routine. She would wait until I'm done getting ready for the day. Once I sat down at my desk, she would walk over and stare up at her desk. I would either pick her up or she would jump on to the desk. From there, I would pet her for about 10-15 mins, she would get a drink, watch the chipmunks play outside, and then jump over to the bed where she would supervise for a couple hours. Zoey also loved stealing my chair so if I used my standing desk, there was a good chance she would jump on to my office chair. This meant I couldn't sit down until she got up. My legs were tired, but it was worth it to see her sleep so peacefully. She would also supervise our work if we were cleaning up the basement or vacuuming. She was always watching us from some kind of perch or on top the steps.

Caterpillar on my chair!

Zoey enjoyed sleeping in many parts of the house, including the top of the cat tree, my foldable chair, office chairs, the circular cat bed, and the bed. If there was a blanket near one of her spots, she would get right to work making biscuits. She loved a good blanket. We wouldn't even be petting her, but she would be purring super loud, biscuit-ing away! She was also very kind and would greet us at the door whenever we got home. She would give her little cry of a greeting as we came in. We would always greet her back and give her some loving. This usually led to purrs. Sometimes she would go over to the little doormat we had and scratch at it just a little. I always told her she was dancing when she did this.

She trusted us so much. Like her brother, they both will lay down in the middle of the hallway or floor, and not move despite us walking around or carrying things over them. She enjoyed sitting in the windows and watching the world go by on the outside. Her favorite treat was tuna but also wouldn't shy away from some rotisserie chicken (especially when her mom wasn't home!) She was a good drinker, always staying hydrated. She even took several of her pain meds by hand in the beginning! Her and Xavier eventually became friends and I'm sure he will miss seeing another cat in the house.

I'm really going to miss Zoey. She would give the softest, little headbutts on your leg when she was coming over to see you or when you were petting her. She loved to have her chest pet and chin scratched. She was such a gentle girl (except when Xavier was involved). Always happy to see people and was content being pet for long periods of time. Several times, she even got on my lap while I was playing video games! This led to her getting pet for 15-20 mins and purring to her heart's content. She would always sleep right at my feet which made it difficult to spread out, but I was happy to have her there. I will miss her affection and love. I will miss her greetings at the door and all her silly sounds. I hope she is watching over us from Heaven, struggle and care-free. Zoey, I love you and I can't wait to see you again someday where we can spend eternity cuddling and playing.