Razor's Legacy Lives On

Razor was adopted by Christopher in early 2010. No one can quite portray the life of a pet like the owner. Read about Razor's life and legacy as written by Christopher!

I often said that Razor was the kitten that nobody wanted. He was born in Decatur in 2009 in a cat hoarder situation. The conditions must have been awful, because when he was rescued as a small kitten he had a bad eye infection. The caretakers at the shelter thought that he was a goner, but cared for him anyway. Luckily the medical staff were able to nurse him back to health. There was one volunteer in particular who really took a strong liking to him - I wish I knew her name to thank her personally.

When Razor was at the shelter, he spent his time in the kitten room. He was by far one of the friendliest kittens, but was constantly looked over. An injury on his tail, which left part of it bald, probably didn't help. But as always, Razor persevered. When I met him, I couldn't help but fall in love. I wasn't ready to adopt him yet, and eventually gave up hope. Many months later I moved into my first apartment and immediately began looking for Razor. Much to my delight, he was in one of the display cases at the local Petsmart. I knew what I had to do. He came home with me on a rainy day in 2010 - the volunteer who helped nursed him back to health cried with him when we picked him up at the shelter, happy he finally found a home.

Razor went with me to college, graduate school, and eventually moved with me to Washington State - living near the coast, along the Canadian border, in a cabin, and in numerous apartments. After all the moving around, he was able to settle down and spend his golden years in the same place when we bought a house in 2020. His home gave him access to a backyard, which he enjoyed roaming and soaking up the sun on warm summer days. He also loved to chatter at birds visiting the feeder.

Razor was incredibly smart for a cat. You could look into his eyes and see his intelligence. He was adept at opening doors and getting into all kinds of trouble, especially if it involved food. Soon after I adopted him, he managed to eat all the bacon at a housewarming party when we weren't looking. During my daughter's first birthday, he managed to steal a sandwich and eat all the meat. He also grew accustomed to getting some of the meat when I grilled - even if he had to steal it.

Razor was an amazing ambassador for cats - turning friends and acquaintances into cat people which led to several adoptions. Everyone knew his loud purrs, his high-pitched mews, and his love of strangers. He even liked (usually) going to the vet. His calm, friendly nature was an asset with my daughter Juni, and he was the best cat of the bunch when it came to tolerating her toddler antics. He would even let Juni pick him up and carry him around. When she first came home, he was very curious and kept close watch over her. I am sad that he never got to meet my second daughter, who was born a week after he passed.

I was always amazed at how close Razor and I were. It was almost telepathic. He had complete trust with me, and would come when he was called. His favorite thing to do was to sit in my lap, belly up, and purr as loud as possible while I rubbed him. He also liked to wait for me to come home from work, especially if there was a window to watch for me. He would sleep next to me every single night, and some nights he would snuggle in my arms without moving the whole time. But make no mistake, he always let me know when it was time to get up and give him breakfast.

Razor had health problems from the very beginning, but he never let it get him down. In the end it was determined that he had developed lymphoma, and that it had advanced too far before it was caught. Razor passed away in my arms, purring until the very end.

It brings me great joy to know that Razor's legacy will live on. I would like to donate more money to this cause in the future and encourage others to do so as well.

Thank you for choosing adoption!

On behalf of the Decatur and Macon County Animal Shelter Foundation, and homeless cats like Razor looking for a home, we thank you for your donation to help support cat adoptions! Thank you for giving Razor a loving forever home and a wonderful life.