Tyrone “Mr. T” Cowles, 1998-2012

I am sad to report that Tyrone “Mr. T” has made the trip to kitty heaven following complications from his chronic kidney failure.  He was a good friend and companion. Tyrone was originally adopted by Aunt Maura in January of 2002 from Pet World on Rt. 9 in Natick.  After hearing what Aunt Mo was looking for the staff disappeared in the back and brought out a mess of cat.  He was overweight and undergoing patchy hair loss due to some kind of stress.  Cristin was concerned about his large size and appearance and whether he would get along with our cat Oscar who wasn’t much of a fighter.  However, Aunt Mo decided he was the one and he went back to Cambridge.  She has a good eye because his fur filled out nicely and it turns out that he is a nearly purebred Siberian Forest Cat with the coat to match. He also turned out to be the most laid back cat imaginable. None of the usual procedures were necessary when introducing new cats into the home. Tyrone hardly noticed as long as they didn’t mess with his routine.   During his time in Canton he was introduced to whip cream by Jason and this began his lifelong obsession with can-based dairy products.  I always marveled at his ability to sense when I was getting my own dessert from the refrigerator which was usually when I would share a spritze or two of Reddi-Whip with him. He could perceive the specific clink of the aluminum can as it was removed from the fridge door.  You would close the door and there he was talking to you with his aggressive meow. Tyrone didn’t like to travel much but he made a few trips to the Cape.  On one such occasion my father looked out the window in the morning and discovered Tyrone sitting on the lawn.  He had accidentally pushed a screen out and probably just sat there all night, completely unaware that he was deep in coyote territory.   Tyrone was never much of an active cat and tended to shy away from play when other cats were around. However, occasionally, even at his advanced age, he would launch an all-out assault on a random floor-bound object that would end in him spontaneously running up the stairs.   He was truly a good cat and we will miss him.