Greetings, all!
We are actually in Owego for a few days. It is a good thing, seeing that Connecticut is being tortured by a nasty cold front at the moment. I believe it is in the 40s and raining there.... Here it is GORGEOUS. I try not to feel too bad for Scott back in Connecticut, but he does have a people free house for three days.... all to himself. It can't be all bad!
Some sad news, our kitty died earlier this week. He was a salty old man at 14+ years of age who lived a very long and exciting life. He has moved six times, navigated city streets and deep dark forests. He braved all kinds of weather to go outside year round. He fearlessly battled alley cats, wild animals, and outlived a multitude of family pets. He terrorized dogs, and many neighborhood children. Mice parents will scare their children with stories about him for generations to come. He was one good kitty!
His health kind of hit a wall in the past couple of weeks, but I just couldn't bear dragging him off to the vet. If there was anything that poor cat hated was the vet--and worse was the car ride to get there. I vowed as long as he wasn't in hysterical pain, we would try and keep him at home.
Up until the day he died he was still heading out to the woods for his daily prowl. Monday morning he could not get up by himself. We wrapped him in a towel and took him downstairs, taking turns holding him out on the porch in the sun. That seemed just what he wanted, because then he (I'll be darned if he didn't) simply smiled, sighed and was gone.
Scott made him a nice box, Alannah wrote a poem for him and Aidan helped find a spot for kitty out on the edge of his favorite prowl spot. Scott had the kids put a bench out there so they could have a little spot to visit Kitty any time they wanted. I waited to tell Susie and Dan when we got here-that just isn't news to share over the phone. They were sad too: Susie wondered who was going to keep her toes warm at night now, since Kitty has always, always slept on her bed! Dan was worried for Coal, because now Coal didn't have a friend to play with.
Coal did seem to understand what was happening. Up until a few weeks ago he would kind of chase the cat around trying to play and be friends with him. It was as if he knew Kitty wasn't feeling well because he started keeping his distance and treating him with respect. While we were holding kitty on the porch, he came up and nuzzled him, and then lay down on the porch with his head on his paws. It was very sweet.
When I talked to Alannah's dad Curt on the phone later that day (he was the one who picked out Kitty in the first place) he was sorry too. Curt wanted to know if he could get Alannah a kitten this weekend. I said NO, but...thank you. I have been a cat owner pretty much for my whole life. It is time to take a break. Besides, after that cat, there just might not be a better one to be had! :)
Happy Spring!
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