On December 22nd we put our crazy, super trooper, whatkindofcrazymeowisthat cat to sleep. I haven't been able to write about this for a while but today we picked up the ashes, so it's a bit more real now. She was my first pet, my personal groomer, my nice alarm clock (like gently padding my eyes with her paws when she wanted me to wake up kind of alarm clock), my not so nice alarm clock (SCREAMING at the edge of the bed for food), my boyfriend decider ( she liked everyone so if she didn't like you, you were out). She was also my bread thief and my condensation-on-the-mirror-cleaner (seriously, I'd take a shower and by the time I got out, she'd have stood on her hind legs and cleaned off a big patch with her front paws..weird.) She was my foot warmer for 14 years... wow, 14 YEARS. That's a long time when you say it out loud. I completely took her presence for granted at times and now I really, really miss her. I miss her clocking the dogs across the nose when ever they stood in front of her or looked at her sideways and I miss her patience with Cash. She was so sooooo patient. She put up with the tail pulls and pats that usually ended in a bit of a hair grab. One time Cash sat on her in her bed. I just caught what was happening as she lifted her skinny leg out from under him like she was going to swat him but instead gave him this super slow super gentle tap on the forehead while she was crushed under his weight.
When we drove across Canada she was my biggest worry and turned out to be the least of my concerns because she handled it so well. When we arrived at Lucky Dog HQ in BC, she quickly took over the block, giving cats s*** in every direction. We'd often hear the scuffle outside and would have to go rescue some poor young cat that was pinned against a tree by 14 yr old CLAWLESS Calico. Eventually, when she thought she had the blocked locked down, she took to taking naps in the middle of the street. DEAD MIDDLE. Cars would slow and squeak by her and she wouldn't budge.
Sadly, she began to loose weight really really fast and with it her appetite and her spirit. She was diagnosed with a hyperthyroid which should have been easy to control with medications but we couldn't, for the life of us, get her to eat anymore. And so her time had come and we made the decision. How do you give up your best friend of 14 years? You decide what's best for them, not you and you just to it.
I still think I see here coming around the corner, but of course I don't it's just shadows. Boy do we miss her.
Bye bye Calico cat.
AWwww. Bonnie. So sad to hear that. Poor thing. I hate it when animals are sick...
You're such a good pet owner.
Even in your absence - I was guilted into carting Pilot out to Superstore to get groceries to make food for Crash.
Posted by: Kal Barteski | January 16, 2008 at 09:21 PM
We were so sorry to hear about Calico. It's hard to lose a member of your fur-family. She was such a beautiful cat...
love, Larry & Debbie
Posted by: Debbie Strange | January 17, 2008 at 10:01 PM
I'm so sorry! 14 years *is* a long time. It's wonderful that she was so healthy for so long...makes it more difficult, though, doesn't it? Calico reminds me of our outdoor feral friend, Gremlin.
Posted by: thursday | January 20, 2008 at 10:59 AM
Thats such a nice story! poor calico. J
Posted by: Justin | July 09, 2008 at 01:10 AM