Thank you, little buddy.

Instructions

do NOT: steal, copy, trace, repost or recolour my art. Info: (PLEASE READ IT ALL) Yesterday morning, at 8AM, my nan’s cat, and my best friend, Thomas (aka ‘tomcat’ and ‘TomTom’) died. It came as to no shock, as he was 17 and clearly deteriorating when I saw him for the final time on Thursday; but it doesn’t remove the pain. He was the sweetest most loving little cat you could have ever met and was the only one out of all the cats my nan has had over the years that actually liked me. He’d perk his head up when I walked through the door; and wait at the door for me when I’d be pet sitting. He loved attention, and only ever wanted you to sit next to him and pet him, to let him know that you loved him. My nan kept him because he was born with a bent tail and she felt that because of that, nobody else would want him. He was the youngest, and the last surviving of all of my nan’s cats. I don’t talk about it at all, and neither do I particularly want to, but 2022-2024 were the hardest times of my life. I’d escaped a school that left me beyond traumatised, and without justice, my (second) nan died, and I felt lonelier than ever. But tomcat was there. Every day I’d go to my nan’s and he’d be there waiting beside the sofa for me, sat on a cushion. He’d jump up into my arms often, and pose for photos, bringing a little bit of joy into my life when it’d all practically been stolen from me. He never discriminated against me for being autistic, in fact he preferred me over my neurotypical cousins; perhaps because I’m more quiet and gentle around animals, and because I genuinely loved him. I’m forever grateful that Thomas was always there for me in his sweet little cat way; and that I got a chance to say goodbye to him on Thursday. As soon as I walked through the door, I saw how weak he was sat curled up on that cushion, unable to walk or jump. He looked up at me a couple times as I sat there and pet him for the last time; as if to say, with his sweet little eyes that he loved me too. As if he was grateful for everything I was saying to him, that I was just there. People act like grieving a person, and grieving a pet are two different things and the latter is less important; but that’s not how it is at all. Pets become just as much as family as people do. We bond with them and love them just as much as people. Sometimes, we even treat them like people. He was my best friend, and I want to honour that. I love you little buddy; Thank you for everything.