Goodbye, old friend.

Baakay · Post by **Baakay** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 3:12 pm

Most of you have heard me talk about my fuzzies ad nauseum... My Crotchedy Old Ladies (tm) and the Feline Necktie/Vest, Emily Pest.

Fewer of you know that Miss Brandy's been failing rapidly over the past few weeks. Oh she's been feisty enough, giving us ten kinds of heck when things aren't absolutely to her liking. She's had a great appetite, and has taken obvious continued pleasure in being here, but has been pretty wobbly.

Today, Miss Brandy reached the end of the road. She got zipped up the street to the vet, but an xray revealed a very large liver tumor that was pressing on her diaphragm. Completely beyond anything the vet could do. Rather than make her suffer through a few more days we chose to ease her on her journey.

19 years is a pretty good run for a cat. Especially one who got off to an inauspicious start in life and was rescued as an "unwed mom" from a pound. She's been a standoffish, crotchedy old biddy from the beginning to the end of the trail, and I'll miss her more than I can say.

Brandy

June 1987--April 2006

In_Gabriel_We_Trust · Post by **In_Gabriel_We_Trust** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 3:20 pm

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of an old friend. I'm sure she will miss you too.

aernath · Post by **aernath** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 3:52 pm

Kitty!

Wendy · Post by **Wendy** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 3:56 pm

OMG K, I'm so sorry to hear this.

No matter how prepared you are, or how old the pet is, when they die it will always be a major shock. (I know, I've been there)

I know you're going to miss her, and I want to wish you all the strength in getting through this loss.

Okuni · Post by **Okuni** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 4:21 pm

yeah, I agree with Uende.
No matter how long your furry friends are around, a loss always feel the same. At least she was around with people that cared about her.
Nineteen years is old, though. Life will seem horribly quiet now.
My thoughts are with you.

(i wish there was some better emoticon..)

Sugarflower · Post by **Sugarflower** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 4:26 pm

I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty Baakay. By her age you can definately tell she was loved & cared for to the fullest.

SME · Post by **SME** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 4:38 pm

Baakay, I'm sorry to hear of you losing a friend. I think most of us are no strangers when it comes the time for the pet to leave us. I had to do that twice last year, so the pain is still fresh. 19 years is a very long time, so rest assured that you knew you gave your cat a long life filled with love, happiness and joy. I agree with Uende though, that no matter what age it all feels the same.

Post by **JWR** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 4:49 pm

I know that it is so very hard to lose a companion that has shared so much of your life. She passes on knowing she was in a secure and loving home for 19 years.

hyelakingsfan · Post by **hyelakingsfan** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 5:38 pm

Im sorry to hear that. im at a lost of words. i just know that your kitty was really happy to live her life with u.

vapalla · Post by **vapalla** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 5:44 pm

I'm so sorry that you lost one of the old ladies. No matter how long you have them, it is never long enough.

Baakay · Post by **Baakay** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 5:48 pm

Thanks everyone

Quiet, however, is not something in the feline vocabulary of this house, I fear

In fact, Emily, the gray tabby, yeowled at me from about 4:30 am. Non-stop. I suspect she and the Buffalumpagus, will keep us on the straight and narrow quite nicely. Both of them are pretty subdued right now, but neither one hesitates in getting her two cents in. This is what I get for talking to them... they talk back

Miss Brandy did, indeed, have a good life. She actually outlived all but one of her kittens. (Persikitty is still being a demanding old crank with my sister, and personalitywise is the very image of her mom.)

I had an ultra-rare cuddle with Brandy yesterday afternoon. She let me scratch her behind the ears, and purred and did that little skwinchy cat smile thing, and told me she was pretty content. So in spite of being very sad to be without her, I know she was a happy cat.

I'll take that

It couldn't possibly be stranger, though, that she would pick the first day in 17 years that I have not been a catalog librarian (yesterday was my last day in that department...Monday I start my new archives gig).

Life is so incredibly bizarre sometimes.

thezelgoddess · Post by **thezelgoddess** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 5:49 pm

Oh that's so sad!

Kitties are sneaky-- they worm their way into your heart and there's just nothing you can do about it. I will be a total wreck when my two decide to leave, no matter how old they are!

Make sure to do something to commemorate your kitty, even if it's something little like making a few scrapbook pages or a photo gallery online-- that always helps get some closure and assures that they will be remembered. Making a donation to a favorite pet charity in their name can also be a wonderful way of passing the positive energy from their life and your love on to many kitties who need it.

Most importantly, be good to yourself and hug the rest of your fuzzy kids!

Luv,

!zzy

logorzat · Post by **logorzat** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 6:27 pm

I'm so very sorry about your kitty.

I know exactly how you feel. My kitty is at the vet now and they think he is going into heart failure even though he is only a year old.

syan · Post by **syan** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 7:05 pm

Sorry to hear about your loss! Glad you were allowed to have one last cuddle. I don't know anything about cats, but 19 years seems like an incredibly long life.

Baakay wrote:It couldn't possibly be stranger, though, that she would pick the first day in 17 years that I have not been a catalog librarian (yesterday was my last day in that department...Monday I start my new archives gig).

Life is so incredibly bizarre sometimes.

Without sounding, uh, weird, but I think pets have a way of sensing those kind of things. The family cockatiel, which was found by kids right before I started kindergarten, chose the morning I moved out of home for my first job after college to pass. Kinda like she didn't have to watch over things anymore, since new chapter in life was starting. (Okay, go ahead and say it...it was just a coincidence..)

blueheaven · Post by **blueheaven** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 7:21 pm

Very sorry for your loss. At least she isn't in any more pain.