Feline companions

(this is the same post from FWF but I felt the need to spread it around)

I made a joke earlier this week to the cps. Something along the lines of I’d hope one day to be able to write without various things in my life going to hell. But then, I may not know HOW to write without strife. OK, not a very funny joke.

In the last two weeks, I lost two of my cats. This particular pair was born the year of the LA riots (1992), which happened to be the same year that I graduated from college. These cats were born at my parents’ house and moved with me four different times. They were with me through times when it was pretty much just me and an occassional friend dropping by. The last 10 years they’ve been with me and the SO, watching as we acquired a bunch of younger cats (because the SO can not stand to see a cat suffer. Simply isn’t in him). For nearly half of my life, they were with me when I was sick, kept me company in times of lonliness and watched over my early writing attempts. They were one of my early signs that the SO was a pretty cool guy.

These two saw me through so much and now they’re gone. I’d like to say both died peacefully, but I can’t. Both were very sick in the end and there was nothing we could do for them except watch them suffer. One died two weeks ago yesterday and we had to put the other to sleep yesterday because he was headed for the same painful end.

They are now without pain and for that, I’m grateful. I had them with me for 16 years and I’d like to think that they lived good lives. They were loved as best as we could love them. I hope they’re together again and enjoying the sun in the great beyond.

Damage and Squack. Rest in peace, my loves. I will have and do have other cats, but there can’t ever be two others like you.

7 thoughts on “Feline companions”

  1. My deepest sympathies. Our feline companions are family-of-choice, and so easy to love. But when it’s the hardest, it’s our choice to help them and love them best, even when it’s time for them to go. But they’ll always be with you, and you know that they wouldn’t want you to be sad. Grief is for those that are left behind, so with kindness I hope you celebrate the time you had with your feline family members, and keep them close in your favorite memories.
    Hugs,
    -elemelf

  2. Jet, so sorry for your loss. Take time to grieve. Take time to breathe. And remember all the love you gave them and they gave to you. Deepest sympathies.

  3. I’m sorry to hear of your loss hon. That is a long time for fur kids to be around, and I’m not talking from the pet’s end but your end. It’s awesome that you had them that long and took such good care of them for that time. I see so much irresponsibility when it comes to pets, having taken in two dogs myself recently when their owners couldn’t deal for various reasons. There is a belief among some reincarnationists that future loved ones come to us as kitties to test us out, and then others say past loved ones come back to us as kitties to be withus again. I think it’s a nice way to think, anyway.

    A bit OT but not totally… I went into labor with my eldest child a few hours after the LA riots started. I remember sitting in bed, counting contractions while I watched the live news reports and thinking, my god I am bringing a child into this insane world??? But 16 years and two siblings later, he’s still here, the world is still here, and maybe he can make the world a better place.

  4. My sympathies. I remember going to the vet to say goodby to our cat after it became clear she couldn’t get better, and putting her down was the only humane option…total bawlfest. We do get attached to our pets.

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