This is the story of Diesel, the cat whose purr rivaled the roar of a diesel engine! The SAFE Haven staff named him for his unparalleled purr, and we’re told that he remained a legend for many years after his adoption. We know that everyone who met him never forgot him, and he was even invited back to participate in a promotional video for SAFE Haven. Speaking of that video, when we played it at home, Diesel went crazy when he recognized his own meow. He looked everywhere by the TV, trying to find his doppelganger!
Diesel was the most outgoing, loving cat imaginable. He wanted to be held all the time and was addicted to face bonks and nose boops. And that voice! Besides a deafening purr, Diesel boasted a 100 decibel meow—probably the inheritance of a Siamese progenitor. Diesel had the build, facial shape, and large ears of that distinctive breed.
In his youth, he was notably athletic, leaping on top of cat trees and refrigerators with ease. However, his fearless jumping eventually got him into trouble. He tumbled from a tall bookcase and seriously injured his back. His case was so unusual, that he became the subject of a journal article written by the veterinarian who treated him at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. According to his vet, the kind of back injury that Diesel presented was previously only seen in dogs. Diesel was always breaking the mold!
Our years with Diesel flew by, and when he became seriously ill, it was simply heartbreaking. He underwent a lengthy period of treatment, and every one of his caregivers fell in love with him. One student at the Vet School who worked on his case e-mailed us on a daily basis to check on Diesel’s progress. Once you met Diesel, he entered your heart and never left.
We still miss him every day, but are grateful beyond words to have been his forever family. Thank you to SAFE Haven for saving his life and making it possible for us to adopt him.
