Rocco Baillet

Rocco, My Boy
It was my last day at the dealership, starting at a different location the next day, and it was 6:00, long past when I was supposed to be gone for the day. My office was the last one you passed to leave from the employee exit. As I raced to finish packing my office contents, I saw a coworker going out the door carrying a box. Suddenly he reversed his steps and asked if I was interested in taking a cat. He explained that “Merlin” who was 6 months old was his sister’s cat and she couldn’t keep him because of children’s’ allergies. My coworker had taken him in temporarily but couldn’t keep him and was on his way to the “pound”. I explained that we had recently lost our 6 year old Cocoa to cancer and had just adopted 2 rescue cats (Sophia and Gypsy). By now the coworker was in my office with the box on my desk and it was all over. I took Merlin/Rocco home that evening and for our family it was love at first sight.
Rocco was the most mellow cat I have ever known. He got along great with his 3 sister cats (another rescue joined us a year later) as well as his dog brother and later sister. Rocco acted more like a dog than a cat, always quick to pick up on our needs, always lying next to you or on your chest if you were sick. He always came when called and was extremely intelligent. Every Sunday in season I would ask him if he wanted to go “downstairs with Dad to watch the game” (Vikings). Invariably he would follow me down and sit on my lap or next to me until game’s end.
Rocco was a beautiful black cat with stunning green eyes. He didn’t meow but rather “spoke” and you could tell he had his own language for us versus his animal siblings. He was long and thin his whole life and right to the end never had trouble jumping up to the kitchen counter, beds, etc. In his last year I took him outside often, either holding him or hovering over him if he was on the grass (he was not an outside cat). He loved chasing/capturing the occasional moth that would come out of the grass and loved looking at the birds in the trees. Although he had kidney disease, it was well controlled, he was not on any medications and his sudden passing shocked us even though he was just 2 weeks short of his 19th birthday.
I know that time will help perspective but as I write this my heart is heavy with loss. Rocco changed our lives, will always be part of our family and one day the good memories will win out. Rocco, my boy, I miss you so much.