Marcus, Cat, Nibelung, (* ~ 2024-11-15), RU

He came into our lives on August 19, 2023. We first noticed him a week earlier on our way to the gym — a large gray cat, as thin as a skeleton, emerging from an abandoned house. He looked at people with piercing emerald eyes, trying to attract their attention by screaming.

We tried to feed him, but that day I realized: if he didn’t show up again, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. Just an hour later, my wife and I managed to catch him.

He turned out to be a former house cat, neutered, about 10–12 years old, suffering from chronic kidney disease.

What followed were 15 months of struggle and joy, ups and downs, and countless vet visits. Several times we thought he wouldn’t make it — but he had an iron will to live, and we kept supporting and treating him. The hardest part was persuading him to eat and take the necessary medication..

He accepted us completely and turned out to be incredibly human-oriented — endlessly headbutting, jumping onto our laps, hiding his head in the bend of an elbow, and purring.

On November 15, 2024, he passed away.