RIP Momo

Our great feline friend Momo, who came with us to Portugal from Tokyo, passed away yesterday. She was almost 13 years old – not especially old for a domestic cat – and we will miss her greatly.

For almost a year now, Momo has gamely and valiantly endured a skin cancer that started around her left eye and gradually spread over half of her face. It hasn't been nice to look at, but she remained herself throughout. Over that time, the growing open wound must have been uncomfortable for her, painful even, but never once did we feel that she was suffering very badly. With lots of care and attention from us, she seemed to be mostly happy as her strength gradually ebbed away.

In the end, she passed away calmly in Megumi's arms, just as we finished lunch and as I finished making a batch of beer. (I'll write more about brewing beer later!)

Momo was born to an alley cat in a small printing works in Tokyo's Shinjuku-ku (Shinjuku ward), just a couple of steps across the street from our apartment building. She lived with us there for a couple of years – enjoying adventures in and around 'our' carp pond – and was then rudely shaken when we brought her to Portugal.

December 2002, Naka-Ochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan (aged about three months)

She came to love our land, though, and treated it as her kingdom.

June 2006, Oliveira de Fazemão, Portugal

We are going to miss this fellow traveller on life's journey. She's come a long way with us and has taught us much. In particular, I'll not forget her quiet, stoic way of dealing with serious illness and gradual loss of physical capabilities; the way she took everything in her stride with barely a complaint.

Momo – died 11th July, 2015