Sad Day In The Family
February 22nd, 2008 by joe
One of our cats died yesterday.
Lois the Cat was the longest-tenured animal in our menagerie, and she predated me in fact because my wife got her before we even met.
Things were always a little rocky between Lois and I, because I am allergic to cats and Lois was one of those who could not take no for an answer. She was a love-and-purr machine: Regardless of how much an ogre you might be, Lois would unflinchingly approach seeking to be petted. Back in the days when we actually had company, Lois would inevitably be the hit of the party, throwing herself with abandon at anyone who might have an inkling to Pet The Cat.
She had to deal with some curveballs, such as being transformed from an indoor cat to an outdoor cat around the age of 12 in order to allow your humble narrator to continue to live in the house. But her disposition never changed; she adapted to life in the cat house and the backyard, and she remained a very sweet creature wanting nothing more than to be stroked by anyone in the vicinity. This included me - the decidedly non-cat lover - despite the fact that she surely had me figured out. She was not a stupid cat. So her indefatigable advances, her blatant flirtatiousness despite the wall I attempted to maintain between us, served as a reminder that she was, in an important sense, a better person than I.
My wife rescued Lois from a shelter (and a previously abusive owner), giving her what turned out to be a good life.
Reflecting puts the significance of the past in perspective - (and this is not just for pets obviously): Altogether we had Lois for over 13 years. That’s a serious slice of our life. We had a lot happen during that time - we each in the family accomplished things, we had our rough spots, and a lot changed. BOY did things ever change. Among the constants during that period, Lois was a key one. She was really a good natured cat, a blessing to us.
This entry was posted on Friday, February 22nd, 2008 at 1:10 am and is filed under Personal Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
February 22nd, 2008 at 7:38 am
Thanks, sweetie. I knew deep down you, er, tolerated her.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:08 am
Sorry to hear about Lois. Losing a pet is never easy and I am glad she had such a good life.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:23 am
So sorry for your loss. Nice to know there is at least some small piece of common ground that we can occupy beyond our stark political differences.
My partner and I have had dogs throughout our 23 years together and I can really identify with the way we tend to measure our passage through our pet experiences. We lasted just one month petless between the death of the first round of dogs and the start of the next pack. We now have 4 small rescue dogs (the partner is a volunteer board member for a local pet rescue group) all about 8 years old with hopefully many more years to color our lives. But you never forget any of them
and what they bring to your family.
When and if you choose to add to your family again, please consider checking out our group, Homeless Animals Rescue Team (HART) at www.hart90.org.
May fond memories of Lois warm your sad heart in the months to come.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:38 am
Linda,
sorry for you loss. When my dog died, I felt like I lost a child. Crazy how we become attached to four legged fur balls.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:52 am
I had a stray cat I adopted in 1982 at Fort Hood, TX and he lasted until January 2002. A unique piece of my personal history since I got him before I got married and after a brief period of adapting to a new person in the house i.e. my wife, tolerated moving with us to VA, CA, IN, Germany, KS and DC.
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:47 am
Sorry about your kitty. Was wondering why I haven’t seen her around. Junior is going thru a kitty crisis now so I definately feel your pain.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:50 am
Joe — I’ve lost a few, too. It’s never easy. My sympathies to you and your family.
Jacob — I still miss Wolfie, too.
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:00 pm
TO JOE AND FAMILY:
MY HEART FELT SORROW AT YOUR LOSS OF LOIS,YOUR CAT.
I, TOO KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO HAVE A CAMPANION PASS AWAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN I TRAVEL LESS AND MORE STABLE HOME LIFE THAN ONE ON THE ROAD, FOR ME IT’S 2 BIG DOGS WITH SLAPPY SMILES AND THE LOOK OF LOVE EVERY TIME THEY SEE ME.( ALWAYS GET MY ANIMALS FROM A SHELTER, THEY ARE THE BEST)
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Thanks, everyone, for your condolences. We really do appreciate it.
February 23rd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I am really sorry for your loss.
Having lost pets, both cats and dogs, i know how tough it can be. we have three pets in our house and do not look forward to them going anywhere. They do become members of the family, furballs, hair and all.
I just read a book by Mark Levin entitled Saving Sprite. It was a very good book about how the Levin family dealt with having to put down their dog Sprite after a lengthy illness. Anyone with pets will really enjoy this book.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
ANOTHER GREAT BOOK IS TITLED
“CHOSEN BY A HORSE”
February 25th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Must be the year for it. We lost “the Bryceman” and “Punkin”, a polydactal love machine. Punkin actually performed the high five on demand. My wife had both of these cats for 14 years or more.
The Bryceman did not care for me and avoided me for the first 6 years of our marraige.
He warmed up to me the last two years, and my wife jokes that it’s because he went deaf, and did not find me as irritating.
Sorry for your loss, and we know how close they are to family members.