Cat Blues...
Non cat lovers cannot understand. Those who do not have pets who live with you in excess of 10 years do not know why and I'm sorry to keep on going on, but hey... After a decade, I am currently shedding cats on a quarterly basis and whilst having 2 left makes the place quieter and less claustrophobic. Whilst the food and vet bills go down and there is less issues that impact on the pregnancy, shed cat fur, destruction of carpets and furniture. Despite all this, it still comes back and hurts like hell.Tiger was a little insecure, guilty of territorial weeing and using the stairs as a scratch post. At his most insecure I woke up to find he had weed on my feet, a friend came to stay for a gig and put his clothes out before showering only to find on his return that the little rascal had claimed them in the name of urine. However, he was always walking to the door, tail up in greeting. He would always be following you around the garden and was always there when you needed. I loved curling up on the bed with him for a snooze. Being diagnosed with kidney problems was heartbreaking having just told the vets he had no problems and when he faded to immobility, it was depressing.
Smudge was an old boy, not gregarious to other cats. He would find it difficult to sheathe his claws, leading to many clothes being pulled. As he grew older, his incontinence increased and the phantom weeing was the old man, caught short in the middle of the night and unused to litter trays. We found that using bed-wetting pads solved the problem and he used them gratefully.
I miss his contact (without the clawing), the comfort of having him on my lap as I typed. One day all his legs gave way and we knew it was time.
Panther was everyone's favorite, the cat who loved hugging. Always around, always happy. No, that's not true, I've had enough scratches to testify! One day, he brought a bird in and left the carcass on a shelf. I didn't know until I discovered a nest of maggots in the carpet and a queue wriggling along the shelf waiting to join them. One day, he walked in with half his forehead covered in light brown mud. I got a damp cloth and started gently washing it away. I'll never forget his rich purring as he sat and let me. He got cat flu, despite the jabs and for the past 10 months has been noisy as his sinuses were clogged with mucus. In the end, his bladder failed him it got blocked and I didn't know the signs to recognize. It became critical on a Friday night and I did not appreciate that we had 24 hour vets in the area until the Sunday. It probably made no difference, he was fading before that time. My memory of him walking up the stairs reaching out with a front paw to claw his way up is tragic. My memory of playing and his love and affection remains, as it does with them all. Playing the game of him poking his head through the stair rails to rub noses and so on.
You have to remember what they were like, the pain of emptiness remains and for those that believe as such, they will be there for you when your time moves on, as will the beautiful Poppy, ever happy and would roll over in greeting - tart! Also my childhood cats of Samson and Fluffy and my beautiful dalmatian dog William. If that theory is bunk, then it's just time to cherish the good times we had and thank them for their input in making your life a brighter and happier place.
I would caution anyone who sees a dramatic change in behavior to go to the vet asap, for this who can afford to insure and to be realistic as to when is the time to let go.
OK, wake over, I need to carry on. I still have 2 cats left, whinging pampered pusses, constantly demanding food and attention. Throwing up, leaving a mess and so on. Even more reason to love them.
There's no news on the book front. The sequel goes slowly, I am developing an idea and unsure as to whether to let it unravel or string it over a few chapters.
I may start dropping in some previous work on the page. A sort of light relief
posted by Geraint @ 1:34 pm
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