MY TWO GORGEOUS PUSSYCATS WE MISS YOU SO MUCH
My darlings Whiskers and Tiggy
A beautiful tabby cat was hanging about in the garden, She was so timid we couldn’t get near her. I knew the first time I saw her she was a she, she was so pretty. Eventually she took some food from the dish I had been trying to tempt her with ~ Yes you’re a hungry girl I told her.
A few weeks before, we had taken in a tortie pussy cat that looked so bedraggled and thin, she was padding the carpet with her paws ~ claws out quite traumatised. I rang the local vets and asked if anyone had reported her missing, Secretly hoping no one had; we had fallen in love with her. We decided to call our tortie Tiggy.
Tiggy soon settled in with us she loved the warmth from the fire and the new basket and blanket we bought for her. When Tiggy went out in to the garden we noticed the gorgeous tabby cat would always appear and play with her. So of course we started feeding her too, she was always hungry and asking for food.
It took some time before the tabby cat dared to come in to the house but the two of them were great friends.
It was winter and so very cold. In she came for some food and stayed hidden behind the curtain for about 3 hours. We decided to call her Whiskers, She was a real Beauty. The kind you see on a calendar, so cute, but untouchable. It upset us to think she couldn’t trust us enough to let us stroke her. But never mind at least we could feed her and offer her warmth. Whiskers lived with us on her own terms! And to be honest I felt privileged to have her. Oh how beautiful you were.
Tiggy was just the opposite; you could do anything with her she was so happy to have a home and be loved. Tiggy was much older than Whiskers, They seemed an unlikely pair. We never did find out where they had come from. We began to wonder if someone had died and they had been thrown out. No-one knew them. Anyway it was our gain ~ they were never any trouble.
One evening I had been out and when I came home Tiggy was in the yard when I pulled in with the car. She was coughing ~ making a funny noise. I immediately picked her up. Maybe she had a furball stuck in her throat but no, she had difficulty breathing. We took her straight to the vet who said all her organs were closing down ~ there was nothing they could do. He said she was quite old.
We came home devastated. She was such a delight and we were honoured to have had her for the last 18 months of her life.
Whiskers was looking all over for Tiggy, she seemed lost, she didn’t eat for a few days and was mewing and searching, she wouldn’t stay in the house at all. We thought we were going to lose her as well, but we continued to feed her and coax her; eventually she started coming back inside and would only let us stroke her when she was in her bed snug and warm. She hated to be picked up and was always panicky if she was cornered; you just had to do things her way or not at all. Who knows what trauma she might have had before we got her. Your coat was so thick and always so clean. You really were gorgeous!! Whiskers lived with us for another 3 years after we lost Tiggy.
I still can’t believe you’re not here with us. One Sunday morning Michael my husband came back upstairs to say you were ill, you weren’t in your bed, you were laid on the mat near the kitchen door and you didn’t try to run away.
Your breathing was heavy and you were gasping for air. We took you straight to the vet. It was terrible in the car because you were so panicky. Michael sat in the back with you and you wouldn’t stay in your bed. You were mewing so loud I could hardly concentrate on driving. We rushed in to the vets and he was waiting for us, he saw you straight away, he told us not to touch you as you were critical. It was like a nightmare, This couldn’t be happening again; you weren’t old, you were too beautiful to die. He gave you oxygen and you looked around to see where we were. I went to you to try and reassure you. There was nothing he could do.
Whiskers and Tiggy my gorgeous pussycats we miss you every day. God bless you both. I know you will be together playing in a lovely place where there is nothing to harm you. We will see you again one day I know that. We love and miss you both so much.
Jose, Michael & Richard Knowles
TRIBUTES to SHEP and MEG
Shep
I lost my first dog Shep 31st July 2003. When he had been diagnosed with inoperable cancer I felt like my world was falling apart. Through a very dear friend we found a marvellous vet in North London who cured my Shep. The 6 months that the vets had given him turned into almost 2 years and that awful Sunday morning he was diagnosed with acute heart failure. I always felt I had let Shep down because I did not let Jenny put him to sleep. He died later that afternoon.
Meg
Meg had been with me three and a half years. She had been rescued from a pound because she was already around 9 years old and would have been put down within a couple of weeks because of her age. She had been fostered by a lovely young lady named Emma. I knew it was hard for Emma to let her go because I saw her crying as she drove off. I had promised her she should not worry because Meg would be loved and looked after.
Within a couple of months Meg had lost the extra weight she had put on because of Emma giving her treats. Emma had loved Meg but tried to make up for her being alone such a lot with treats! Meg was not put on a diet but she ate what Sandy ate with just the odd treat plus going walkies twice a day.
From day one we could see Meg had some arthritis and we gave her glucosamine sulphate. Meg was a border collie cross (Shep was a full BC). From her actions etc Meg was about 90% BC. She would herd and nip Sandy’s ankles which would sometimes result in a fight! She followed me around just like Shep had done and now I feel as though my shadow has gone.
My husband would say that she was getting worse each day but me, wanting to be the ostrich, would not answer. Some mornings she would wake me up because she was ‘crying’. It would sometimes take her ages to get up. We have 6 stairs from our front door and kitchen to the lounge and in the recent mornings I would often have to help her up the last few stairs or even go and carry her up.
She would sit with me in the kitchen and often want to sit on my feet. The kitchen is not so big so often when I had to pull a low drawer out I would have to ask her ‘to mind your head’. I did not have to have my husband tell me she was getting worse. I did not need anyone to tell me. On Tuesday I went to the vet to order some Metacam and told her about Meg. She advised me to bring her the next day, Wednesday, for a blood test. The blood was not bad and all her organs were OK but she was anaemic. Isabel and I sat for ages discussing what could happen and probably would happen. She told me she knew of a good ‘bone’ vet but did I want to put Meg through any more. There is no miracle cure for arthritis.
Isabel knew how much I loved Meg and I knew I had to let go, but how? I kept looking into Meg’s eyes and she kept ‘pawing’ me like normal to stroke some more. Everyone tells me I did the right thing but why do I feel such a deep sense of guilt. Why did I let her go now? Did I do it for myself? How long will I feel this pain in my heart and want to call her name? My friend told me that however they go, whether they die naturally or are put to sleep we will beat ourselves up. She has been through both.
I know we will all be together again in the end. I know that Shep and my father were there to meet her as she crossed over and she will, once again, be able to run around as she used to. All I have now are my memories of a dear sweet little girl who loved me.
I am so glad that I have Sandy, my Greek rescue dog who is now 13+ and my little Spanish rescue dog who is 2. They are helping me cope.
Maureen Shbero
CANDY
My beautiful guardian angel
I will love you always.
Miss you so much.
Love Jackie. XXX
SEASONAL GREETINGS
to all Departed Friend readers
We received a number of beautiful, moving tributes to dearly-loved companions – all within a short space of time. I felt I wanted to publish them all in this issue of the newsletter and the fairest way to do that was to print them in the order I received them – though I wish that they could all go on the front page, as they deserve. Our condolences to everyone who wrote in, and to people everywhere who have lost an animal they love.
Debby x
In the picture are my three beloved pets that I lost within six weeks of each other. Lotty was my precious little dog, who I found one October morning. She had been thrown over a wall across the road from my house, in the local supermarket garden. It had been a very cold and wet night and she was in a very poor state. Her skin was red and sore and she was cold, wet and hungry, but worst of all she was very frightened. In my eyes she was beautiful, I loved her straight away.
Lotty was not an easy dog to settle into my life because she was so frightened, but with lots of love she became a part of the family. I loved her so much, she loved to be out on long walks, running and playing in the woods with me and Aunty Maureen, who was so good to you. You loved her lots and we were always together and the fun and happiness we shared I will always treasure.
As the years went by Lotty’s legs began to get painful and after frequent visits to the vet, he said she needed an operation. Her leg was bad and she had rheumatism in her spine and hips. Pills and visits to the vets could help her no more, but oh! Lotty how I tried to keep you going, but she could hardly walk and I had to carry her across the road and back but the pain was too much. The vet came on Friday tea-time and Lotty barked at him as she always did. I held her in my arms and she looked up at me and I told her I loved her and what a good dog she was. Lotty was so special to me and now she is back home with me in a little casket and I talk to her every day, bless you Lotty, thank you for being my dog, love you now and always your heart broken mum Janet.
Millie and Mo-joe were my two beautiful cats, both ginger and white with Mo-joe being short haired and Millie having long hair. Brother and sister, their mother was a stray and was taken in by a cat lover, who cared for them all. I first saw them both at three weeks old and they looked gorgeous. They both came to live at my house when they were six weeks old, then the fun started.
You were so funny to watch, both liked to catch birds and mice and often I would come home to find one or the other in the kitchen. Mo-joe once brought a live pigeon through the cat flap and was so pleased with himself. The pigeon was ok. They both loved to lie in the garden when the sun was out but neither of them would wander far. Mo-joe always had a lot to say for himself and Millie was very quiet but was an extremely beautiful cat with her long hair.
I had you both for 15 years but then Millie suffered with her back and back legs and one day she could hardly stand. I took her to the vets and he kept you in for a week. After various treatments she came home but it was not good as she had 5 slipped discs in her back, a few weeks later I had to let her go. She was put to sleep in my arms a month after Lotty, bless you Millie from your loving mum Janet, I love and miss you so much.
Mo-joe was very lonely without Millie and Lotty but with lots of tender loving care he seemed to get over losing Millie and Lotty. He was never a strong healthy cat and was often sick and he suddenly became very poorly. Back to the vets we went and he kept you in to do lots of tests and x-rays, then the vet phoned me at work to say he was going to operate, he said you were very sick. Mo-joe got through his operation and came home four days later. Your tummy was all stitched up and you were only home 48 hours before we had to rush you back to the vets, you were so poorly and in lots of pain.
Like Lotty and Millie I held you in my arms, wrapped in a blanket to keep you warm, he was so cold. I lost you 6 weeks after Lotty and two weeks after Millie. My Mo-joe I love and miss you so much, bless you, your loving mum Janet.
Lotty, Millie and Mo-joe are all back at home with me now, I thank you all for being my special pets. I will always remember you all, your heart broken mum,
Janet Nithsdale XXXXXXXXIt is always sad to lose a much-loved pet, but it is particularly hard to lose several in quick succession. Our deepest sympathy to Janet in the loss of her three special friends so close together.
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~~ WHITEY ~~
Our thanks to DF reader Sharon Hopkins and to Susie Nassar (Special Appeals Co-ordinator,ESMA) for this deeply moving tribute to a dear old dog who, in Sharon’s words, found real love at the end of his life.
Whitey was deaf and blind when he was rescued by ESMA – The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals – www.esmaegypt.org. (There will be a feature on ESMA in DF 34, March 2009 – ed). He was found abandoned in Tahrir Square running into cars and into walls. He was so scared when Bahra (his rescuer) picked him up that he was shaking all over. She took him to her home for the night where she fed him by hand and he eventually felt comfortable and safe. After a good night’s rest and relaxation, Bahra brought him to his new home in the Cat House at the centre. The calm and quiet did wonders for him. He became very affectionate it was hoped that a patient owner could be found to guide him through the rest of his life.
Then Susie Nassar emailed with some sad news….
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Sharon I have some bittersweet news…..Whitey passed away two days ago…. He was perfectly fine, had his meal, went back to his room (he used to sleep with the workers he was one of their favourites as he was so old and they felt sorry for him) and he never woke up….Let us just Thank God, that we found him and he spent his last days with us rather than roaming the streets terrified.
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| From the Media ………..Shrine for a cat that sat on every mat.
To some he was known as Ginger. Others called him Dave or Atkinson. Some even knew him as Fonzworthy III. Now the death of a charismatic stray moggy who won the affection of an entire street has sparked a flood of ‘Diana-like’ tributes. Residents who once fed and fussed over him have laid poems, flowers and photographs at the spot where the ginger tom liked to stretch out to cat-nap. ‘He touched our lives in so many ways,’ said 40-year-old Keith Davis, of Holloway, Bath. ‘Although he was streetwise, he was wonderfully affectionate. ‘Collectively, we looked after him and he’ll be missed terribly.’ One tribute addressed to Dave read: ‘We’ve enjoyed your company immensely over the years and will miss and remember you.’ Tony Brown, 66, knew the cat as Atkinson. ‘When he died, we thought we ought to put a notice up because he was so well known,’ he said. |
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~~MAX ~~
Darling you only had one measly year,
That alone makes me shed a tear.
Little Lin you were so fondly known,
All I wanted was to see you fully grown.
Max this wasn’t how it was supposed to end,
You were my little man, my four legged friend.
Running in and out, here and there,
No matter which way I looked you were everywhere.
A mischievous boy trouble was your middle name,
That’s what sadly got you this fame.
The day you went missing my heart skipped a beat,
The day they found you I fell to my feet.
From that day forward I will never be the same,
All I have now is this aching pain.
I loved you so much and I will forever more,
All I want is my little black and white cat to walk through the door.
A kind hearted boy with a heart full of gold,
This story will be continued it will always be told.
RIP now my little Maxy love,
Go and play with the angels who will protect you above.
Love you always, your mummy Karla xXx
ó
| Shrine for a cat that sat on every mat. Continued……. ‘Suddenly, there was an extraordinary outpouring of grief and this Diana-like shrine began to grow. It was only then we discovered just how many people were looking after him.
‘You couldn’t own Atkinson, he was his own cat. My epitaph for him is he was owned by no-one but belonged to everyone.’ The 14-year-old feline was taken to the vet by Mr Brown when he saw he was unwell. He was diagnosed with organ failure and put to sleep.
Metro, 18 September 2008
I have noticed and remarked before in DF that there has been a tremendous improvement in the way the media report animal bereavement issues – this is one of the best examples I have seen: treating the collective grief as perfectly normal – and with respect. Debby. |
Filed under: No. 33 Dec '08
