Saying Goodbye to a Feline Friend
I don’t usually wear my heart on my sleeve, or on my blog, but this has been a rough couple of weeks… and I know I’m among friends here.
I’ve been absent from the blog because my heart just hasn’t been in doing projects or writing posts.
Recently we had to make the very, very difficult decision to put our 15 year old cat Fluffy to sleep. She had been with us since she was six weeks old, when we adopted her from a Humane Society shelter.
She was a beautiful long haired cat with an elegant air about her, but she also had a sassy side. If I had known what she’d be like when she grew up we would have named her Miss Scarlet… because she reminded me of a southern belle.
Our Miss Fluffy was not a lap cat, but she was very affectionate in her own way. Ever since she was a kitten she loved her belly rubs… and she’d purr up a storm as she curled and rolled.
She was afraid of noises outside, but she went outside anyway. She loved lying under bushes in the gardens… just enjoying the fresh air, and munching on a blade or two (or twenty) of grass.
She would often roll around in the garden soil, looking as happy as a pig in mud, and getting her beautiful long coat all covered with dirt… and not caring in the least. This feline southern belle was not afraid of getting her paws dirty. Sooo like her human mama.
I would laugh at her and say “There’s my pretty girl”, which would only encourage more stretching and rolling.
She was a real scaredy cat… afraid of everyone except John and myself, and she talked to both of us a lot. And even though we have 4 other cats (Leo, Salty, Monkey, and Pixie) the house seems strangely quiet now.
Leo, who is a senior himself, has been looking for Fluffy. He used to annoy her so, and she would often tell him off with a sassy hiss and a harmless swat. I think it was a game they played, and now he seems to miss her.
Our Miss Fluffy had many issues, some stemming back to when she was lost for 7 weeks when she was about 3 years old. We never gave up looking for her and after a sighting at a farm a mile down the road she somehow, miraculously, found her way back home a couple of days later on John’s birthday at the end of October… but she was in a severely malnourished and dehydrated state. We still don’t know how she managed to survive out in the countryside for so long.
It was a miracle to us. She was a very brave scaredy cat.
With the vet’s guidance we nursed her back to health, all the while knowing that there was most likely some kidney and/or bladder damage that would show itself at some point. She had another twelve years… much longer than we expected.
In our heads we know that it was time for us to let her go, but that doesn’t make it any easier on our hearts. In some ways it makes it harder… because we had to make that decision. To say it wasn’t easy is a massive understatement.
But we know that she has found the most beautiful gardens to roll around in up in heaven, as well as some special angels to give her her belly rubs.
She had a very good life, and we were blessed with having her in ours for as long as we did… but we miss our ‘pretty girl’. A lot.
Thanks so much for listening. I appreciate it more than you could ever know.
I hope to be back with a project sometime soon… when I get my mojo back.
Oh Tuula! I'm so sorry for the loss of your special family member! It's never easy, but I'm glad you had her in your life for such a long time. Pets bring such great joy and then such a big hole in our hearts when they are gone. Hang in there girl!
Oh, Tuula…many hugs coming to you from me. It's so hard to lose a pet.
This was a beautiful tribute to Miss Fluffy. Enjoyed looking her photos – such a lovely kitty. It will be hard to adjust to life without her for all of you. My thoughts are with you.
Oh, bless your heart. I pray God will ease your pain. I have 2 cats….after years of being a dog person. My heart goes out to you.
Love and prayers I'm sending your way. It's so difficult to lose a furry member of the family. Fluffy was a beauty and I'm sure she's enjoying heaven and is bringing pleasure to many sweet souls. My oldest kitty Sugar will be 19 in May. We have been expecting her to pass for a couple years now but have about decided she's going to outlive us….lol! Thank you for sharing your sweet Fluffy with us…..Blessings, Vicky
Oh Tuula I am so very sorry for you both You can rest easy knowing she had a beautiful life in a loving home. The best animals are the rescued ones God bless you!!
Tuula I am so very sorry for your loss. Having two pups of our own I know how much we love our fur babies. Peanut and Reeses are 3 and we can't imagine them not being here. My friend that we are staying with right now has a 16 year old doxie that is not doing well. We see what she is going through and we try and be here for her every step of the way. They are truly part of us and their cute little behaviors are so precious to us. Hang in there.
Cynthia
I'm so sorry for the loss of your old friend. My heart goes out to you.
I'm so sorry Tuula. It's such a hard decision to have to make. She was definitely a beautiful cat. My heart goes out to you on your sweet kitty's loss. 🙁
Hugs
Cecilia
I am sorry for your lose. through the yrs. we have lost our family pets , it is hard. I have a 10 yr. this yr. she is a black lab and english bulldog mix. It is one of the neatest pets we have had, and she is a lap dog at 68 lbs she will jump up into your chair and lay beside you, has since a pup. For me it is going to be a hard lose when she goes to doggie heaven. Again, so sorry for your lose . Linda
Oh Tuula, I'm very sorry, pets are part of the family and you do need to grieve them, god bless Mel xox
its so hard to lost a family member my heart goes out to you stay strong
So sorry for you. We just put down our Bella yesterday. The vet said she had a stroke and there was no hope for recovery. The house is so quiet today. She was a talker for sure. Gracie, the 9 year cocker seems a bit off today as well. Although they weren't close and respected each others space, I know there is a loss for Gracie as well.
Tuula I'm so sorry! I know how our fur babies wrap themselves around our hearts! {{hugs!!}}
xoxo
-andi
Sending you prayers. I know how hard it is, we lost one of our cats this past summer.
xx oo
So sorry to hear of your "pretty girl" passing. I know how hard it is to make that decision. Our prayers are with you and your family.
Oh Tuula. I am so sorry for your loss. I've always enjoyed the glimpse of your cats in your blog posts. I am sure I've admired Fluffy before, as your reference Miss Scarlett sounds incredibly familiar. It sounds like your brave scared girl lived a happy life. Not only did you get to rescue her once but twice. May this post and your memories help to ease your sadness and remind you of all the wonderful memories you have of her.
Oh Tuula, I'm so sorry! So very sad. Sounds like you have some great memories though. Hugs to you friend!
I am so sorry for your loss. I know how much we love our 'babies'. I am so glad you have such special memories to make your heart smile. Hugs