8/16 edit- If you sent me email to get CDs and tapes last week, my Hotmail filtering might've flaked out and trashed it. It seems to have been acting randomly lately... so if you're a first time emailer to me, please try again. Thanks.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Okay, I've talked about my family's current cat. If you checked my Pics then you've seen my family's last deceased cat- DC
If she looks dizzy in that pic, well, she generally was a confused little thing. The rear leg you see in the pic was crippled in an accident (we're guessing it was a car; slow down when going through residential neighborhoods people, mmmkay?), then the vet fixed it, then she hurt it again (maybe falling off a fence or something) so she was hunching around for most of her life. Wasn't very fast, but she got around okay... she could even climb stairs and beds.
Throughout most of the '80s, we had three cats from a relative's farm: DC, Groucho, and St. Thomas. Groucho was named for the fact that he was white with thick black "eyebrows" above his eyes, and some black patching and tail. St. Thomas was a black 'n white cat, a sorta-border-collie cat if you will. Eventually, the boy-cats started peeing all over everything, so my parents found them new homes, but since DC was handicapped we kept her.
As I said, she had energy and few health problems of any kind besides her leg... until a few years back when she got terminally ill. She just plain got all the earmarks of a pet in it's last days. No energy, a dull look, and every movement looked like a major chore.
One day, I could tell she wanted to go out... but just couldn't make it. She just couldn't move. I took her out in the backyard, partially because she couldn't do it herself, partially because I was afraid to leave her alone with birds and squirrels outside. Really. She wasn't in any shape to scrap with anything. It was a sunny day, and we just sat there... any cat owner will know a cat doesn't just sit there with you, outside free to roam, if it has any energy or power of it's own.
The next day, my dad took her to get put to sleep. It was time... but I got to spend that last afternoon hour with her. How often would you get that opportunity with a pet, a real goodbye? Probably once in a lifetime. I'm grateful for that.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Okay, I've talked about my family's current cat. If you checked my Pics then you've seen my family's last deceased cat- DC
If she looks dizzy in that pic, well, she generally was a confused little thing. The rear leg you see in the pic was crippled in an accident (we're guessing it was a car; slow down when going through residential neighborhoods people, mmmkay?), then the vet fixed it, then she hurt it again (maybe falling off a fence or something) so she was hunching around for most of her life. Wasn't very fast, but she got around okay... she could even climb stairs and beds.
Throughout most of the '80s, we had three cats from a relative's farm: DC, Groucho, and St. Thomas. Groucho was named for the fact that he was white with thick black "eyebrows" above his eyes, and some black patching and tail. St. Thomas was a black 'n white cat, a sorta-border-collie cat if you will. Eventually, the boy-cats started peeing all over everything, so my parents found them new homes, but since DC was handicapped we kept her.
As I said, she had energy and few health problems of any kind besides her leg... until a few years back when she got terminally ill. She just plain got all the earmarks of a pet in it's last days. No energy, a dull look, and every movement looked like a major chore.
One day, I could tell she wanted to go out... but just couldn't make it. She just couldn't move. I took her out in the backyard, partially because she couldn't do it herself, partially because I was afraid to leave her alone with birds and squirrels outside. Really. She wasn't in any shape to scrap with anything. It was a sunny day, and we just sat there... any cat owner will know a cat doesn't just sit there with you, outside free to roam, if it has any energy or power of it's own.
The next day, my dad took her to get put to sleep. It was time... but I got to spend that last afternoon hour with her. How often would you get that opportunity with a pet, a real goodbye? Probably once in a lifetime. I'm grateful for that.
VIEW 11 of 11 COMMENTS
Have a great Tuesday!