King Tiggy

King Tiggy passed on to the Rainbow Bridge on Tuesday, October 7th, 2025 at 13 years old. King Tiggy was how one would imagine a noble king from a fantasy story or fairy tale. He was a majestic figure, one that was strong, brave, and intelligent. He was a Maine Coon cat, which meant he was larger than normal cats, and his very fluffy and pristine fur gave him an elegant appearance. Visitors unfamiliar with him would almost all say the same thing: "That's a big cat!" He intimidated strangers that came to visit sometimes. Though, his family saw a different side of him, one that was kind, sweet, and very loving. He loved cuddling up to family members, purring soothingly while he did. He enjoyed being petted on his terms, and he often liked kneading his humans, which was sometimes slightly painful due to his sharp claws. He liked being around his family members while they went about their days. He liked to supervise when they did chores, especially washing dishes. He made it clear he was the boss of the house. If a caller asked to speak to the head of the household, they'd probably need to be asked if they spoke cat first, because King Tiggy filled that role.

Tiggy was born on September 20th, 2012. Even before then, he was already helping a member of his soon to be new family. His soon to be family, the Shirley family, were going to be moving to a bigger house in a new town in the early summer. The idea of moving had been a little scary for the eldest child, Sammy. The move meant a new house, a new town, a new school, new people to meet, and hopefully lots of new friends to make. All the news was worrying, but there was something that made the move far less scary and a lot more exciting. You see, Sammy had always really wanted a cat, and Sammy's parents said that they could welcome a kitty into their lives one day after they got settled into their new house.

That fateful and happy day came in November of 2012. Tiggy's arrival had been kept a surprise for the two children. Neither of them knew that day was the day they'd get to meet a new family member. Nothing seemed different until they arrived home after school, and Sammy spotted a little kitten in the living room, sitting behind the rocking chair. Sammy could hardly believe it, and immediately knelt down to see the little kitten. She decided to name him Tigger, after the Winnie the Pooh character. Although that was his given name, Tiggy became his nickname, and as years passed, it became a better fit for him.

As a kitten, Tiggy was quite mischievous. He loved to run and play. It always seemed his favorite time for his running and playing sessions were in the middle of the night while his family was trying to sleep. When he was finished playing and making a lot of noise, he liked to wake up his family members for late night cuddles. One activity he really loved to do was chew and pull on his family members' hair. He could never understand why his family members protested this. It was a habit he kept throughout his entire life, though his family members knew it was not good for him to do, so they stopped him when he'd try, much to his annoyance.

Tiggy was a very curious kitten who loved climbing and checking things out. This curiosity and love for climbing followed him into adulthood. As he got bigger, he was able to jump up and climb to new places. No place in the house was truly off limits for him, as he made clear once when he somehow managed to jump on top of the refrigerator.

As an adult, Tiggy grew into his majestic, kingly self, both in appearance and in personality. He became the boss of the house quickly. He would claim the comfiest furniture for taking naps, and seldom did anyone try to move him. He made it clear when he had demands for his canned food supper in the evenings, and when he wanted kitty treats. He still greatly enjoyed playing with toys, his favorites being string toys as well as a toy mouse he'd received one year for his birthday. His favorite play buddy was Trent, the youngest child of the Shirley family. Tiggy enjoyed spending time with all his humans and had a special relationship with all of them. He was close with Sammy, and would often follow when she went upstairs. Sammy liked to write fantasy stories, and Tiggy would be laying on the table Sammy wrote at, keeping her company.

As Tiggy reached his elderly years, he preferred sleeping to playing, although he still liked to play, and he almost always would chase a string toy when his humans would dangle it by him. He still very much remained in his role of the boss of the family. Even though his family welcomed two dogs that grew to be large breeds in his later years, Tiggy was the one in charge. He had a mischievous side when it came to the dogs, and he liked to bully and antagonize them at times. His humans were always there to keep the peace and to help ensure everyone got along. When it came to his humans, Tiggy preferred to cuddle them instead of being too mischievous. He saved those tendencies for the dogs.

Tiggy's presence was a constant throughout the many changes in life during the thirteen years. He was a sweet kitty that helped his humans get through tough times. He always seemed to know just how to bring light to the darkest times, and he made the happy times even more joyful. He was such a dear and wonderful friend to Sammy and Trent.

King Tiggy is preceded in death by his sister, Lucy Willow Shirley the shih-tzu, and by his twin, Smiley, who had unfortunately passed away as a kitten. Tiggy is survived by his younger Doberman brother, Maui, and by his youngest Doberman sister, Amira. (Though, he would say those two were definitely adopted, as they are too stinky and unkempt to be related to him. We won't pass this information along to the two dogs, though.) There aren't enough words to describe just how truly special of a cat he was, though his family knows they were blessed to have had them a part of their family and lives. He was and will always be dearly loved, and the memories shared with him will always be cherished. He will be greatly missed.

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