For Roman Smith, his cat Gandalf was his world. And for Gandalf, his world was Smith.
Smith was 9 when Gandalf — or “Gannie” for short — joined his family in 2003. It didn’t take long for the two of them to figure out that they loved each other more than anything.
“Whatever I was facing, I always had Gannie by my side. I would wake up to him cuddled up next to me every single morning,” Smith told The Dodo. “He was my best friend, and I loved him with all my heart.”
Shortly after Gannie’s arrival, Smith’s parents took a photo of the two friends. The image showed Smith in an orange and red shirt cuddling Gandalf, who lounged on his back in Smith’s arms. Both boy and cat looked decidedly content.
“I’m glad my parents decided to take some pictures of the occasion, as phone cameras didn’t really exist all the way back in 2003!” Smith said.
Over the following years, Smith and Gandalf’s bond grew even stronger.
“Having the same cat through so many developmental stages of my life brought us as close as a pet can be to their owner,” Smith said. “From teenage angst to major career decisions, Gannie was always there.”
Besides establishing himself as Smith’s best friend, Gandalf also held a position of dominance over the family’s other pets, according to Smith.
“He was a feisty little fireball,” Smith said. “We had multiple large dogs plus other cats, and Gandalf was the king. At the same time, he was unbelievably affectionate. He would purr at the slightest touch and always wanted to play with cat toys.”
In the last years of his life, Gandalf began slowing down and spending even more time with Smith, almost as if he realized his time was running short.
“His mobility declined and … his attitude mellowed out a bit,” Smith said. “He became a true companion to me, always cuddled up next to me when I was playing video games.”
“He still kept some of that fire, though, especially when he was hungry,” Smith added. “If he felt his food was even a few seconds delayed, he made sure everyone knew it. His presence always lit up the room, letting you know that things would be okay because he was there.”
Sadly, Gandalf’s life came to an end. But before saying goodbye to his best friend, Smith donned an orange shirt and set up a tripod to take a picture of them, recreating the photo from 20 years ago. Then Smith posted both photos on Reddit, which has gotten thousands of views and comments.
“I liked the idea of seeing the side-by-side comparison,” Smith said. “A childhood cat living for 20 years is very uncommon, so it’s a very special picture to me. It really shows just how long we were together.”
Gandalf may be gone now, but Smith will never forget him.
“I loved Gannie more than anything,” Smith said. “Losing him has left a massive hole in my heart. But I know that with time, that pain will become fondness. I look forward to the day that his memory brings a smile to my lips before a tear to my eye.”
