We put our 21 year old kitty, Mishka, to sleep on Monday. I had her for 16 of those years, and she was a sweet presence in my life through it all.
She was quiet, clean and gently loving. She snuggled me every night when I got into bed. I missed her these past few weeks when she was finally too old and sick to do much snuggling.
We will not miss her licking our elbows in the middle of the night… but that’s the only thing I can think of.
What a girl she was.
It was interesting to watch the kids grieve for her in their own ways.
Mia wanted to be away from the whole thing and spent the afternoon at the pool with her best friend Marisa.
Owen wanted to be right in the thick of the whole experience and cried his little heart out at the Vet.
I figure you do what feels right to you. I never cry on the same day that we lose a pet. It seems to creep up on me during the following days when they aren’t in their usual places.
We’re going to miss our Squishy girl. (Mishka… Mishkie….Squishkie… Squishy. The evolution of a nickname.) Now, we only have 2 cats in the house. The lowest number of our married life… and before. It's very strange. Mia will be getting her dog sometime soon, but I wonder if there’s also a little baby kitten in my future?
I had my kitty Tiffany for 17 years. I was about 3 when she came along, so I had no memory of life before her. It never gets any easier, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry Jenna. It might help if you had both your children draw pictures of several scenarios where she was the star--some made up and maybe some actual.
ReplyDeleteOur animals bring us great joy. So much, in fact, that it's even worth what we have to go though when they're gone.
ReplyDeleteKaren and I still love all of our cats and dogs that have improved our lives and made us kinder and gentler people.
I would rather be put to sleep than have to be without animals.
Just last night, when I got back home from a very hard, long road trip, I got into bed, relaxed, and was just about asleep when I felt a hard head-bump against my hand. It was my great friend Blue, welcoming me home. That touched my heart second only to the greeting I received from Karen.