A Tragic Loss
I went into the gallery today and called out to my cat Oliver as I have done for the past 4 years. Today I was greeted with silence. This bothered me because usually he would meow as soon as he hears me jingling the keys.
Oliver passed away sometime last night. I am at a total loss. I held him and cried for hours. I railed against the Powers That Be for the senseless cruelty of it all. Somewhere deep inside I hoped he would come back to life. I have never had an animal just die on me. All of my animals have lived very long, very healthy healthy lives. And then at the end, I would struggle with when I should finally end their suffering by taking them to the vet. All of this ritual gave me a chance to say good-bye. A chance to adjust to the loss before it even happens. A chance for closure. Not this time.
Yesterday he was healthy and playful and every bit himself. He antagonized Mike and cuddled with me for over an hour before I left for the night. He then ate his supper and used his box and then died. We had 4 years together and I had expected to have 10 more. I have a gaping hole in my life and I can barely tolerate the thought of going into the empty gallery where his ghost will be around every corner. He was my constant companion, always with me in every room. He was a joy and made me laugh every single day. A gift like that will be so very much missed.
I’m so sorry about your sweet kitty. I can see how beautiful and loving he was in your photos. I have a strong bond with our Tiggie and Possum, so I can identify. They are family. My thoughts are with you.
Thanks so much Gabriella. I never thought it would be so hard. I have been crying for days. Today is better. Tomorrow hopefully more so. I think it is the suddeness of it all. That and the fact that I spent more time in the gallery than anywhere else. Really bad (really, really bad) photos of me, but Oliver is adorable in them.