Eleven years ago, the guy I was dating came over with a pizza and in that moment, my life changed for the better. My little town (a different town than the one I live in now) was having a festival. There were lots of people milling around the streets, and lots of activities. I had been caring for a litter of kittens that had essentially been abandoned by one of my neighbors at the end of the street, along with three other kitties, so I really had a house full of felines. I didn't think that there was room for anyone else.
A little girl and her mother happened on my house just as my boyfriend came over. They were carrying a cat whose eyes were sealed shut. Having seen her be narrowly missed by a passing car, the little girl made her mother promise to find the kitty's home. When my boyfriend called me outside, I instantly recognized the cat as one who'd been living at the house where the abandoned kittens came from.
We let our pizza get cold and took the kitty to a vet. She had an internal parasite, horrible fleas, and a bacterial and viral infection in her eyes. I picked up the medicine, and I was going to take it (and the cat) back to the owners with some instructions regarding how they could help her get better. The next door neighbor saw me with the cat, asked what happened, and told me that if I cared about the cat, I wouldn't return it, because the owners didn't care -- which is why she'd almost gotten killed that evening. They apparently hadn't noticed that the cat's eyes had sealed shut and she was wandering around in between cars in the street. I knew that what they were telling me was probably true -- the kittens that I'd taken in had some health problems, and they were literally starving to death.
And so I kept her, finding room at the inn for just one more. And I nursed her. And I easily spent $1,000 on medical supplies. And surgery to remove one of her eyes, because it had become so damaged from the viral infection that it ruptured. And she became one of my family. And she wrapped herself around my heart. For a long time, it was just me and the kitties. (Until I met a wonderful man who fell in love with me and my kitties.)
A couple of weeks ago, I learned that my little kitty had a thyroid problem. I started giving her medicine, but she lost weight at an enormous rate this last week. To make a long story short, a second opinion and an ultrasound revealed liver, gall bladder, and pancreas problems, some of which may have been caused by a cancer. And she wouldn't have survived the necessary treatment. So, I made the painful decision to say good-bye today. It wasn't easy. And I won't ever be quite the same.
Sweet dreams, princess. I will miss you. And I will see you on the other side -- just as I promised. God speed as you cross the Rainbow Bridge. I will love you always.
:(
Oh, so sorry to hear about your little princess. I am sure she knew how loved she was though, and you *will* see her again, I am sure!
Posted by: Linda | October 18, 2006 at 09:40 AM