Grieving over a cat

 No apologies.  Oscar, our family cat was just put down at the vet's and I am feeling very blue.  Aldershot Animal Hospital was very understanding of our feelings.

Death can be sudden, even with some warnings.  A year or so ago Oscar seemed to lose weight and had problems making it to the litter box.  Oscar had been looked at by the vet and we were given a prescription and food advice.  He seemed to eat more than ever without gaining weight and still jumped on tables.  The night before he seemed as usual, but a little more tired.  In the early morning Sharon noticed some blood around his mouth and was surprised that he would not eat any treats.  A quick trip to Aldershot Animal Hospital and it seemed that his mouth was a serious concern and very likely to impede eating.  His other ailments had not improved.  It seemed that he was doomed to increasingly suffer.  The Vet gave us kleenex and we pretty much went through a full box.  

 It is hard to put into words how we felt about Oscar.  He was our first male cat.  All cats are individuals and Oscar certainly was.  He was very independent, walking away when he was not interested in how we were trying to get his attention.  But he enjoyed jumping on tables when it suited him and sometimes seemed to relish jumping on my shoulders.  Finding new hiding spots to surprise us was another experience.  He did sometimes seek attention and it was hard to ignore his eyes and stretching out and if that didn't work he would rub against us.  Curious about new things brought into our house he would sniff and paw and if he could, taste.  He would sometimes play with guests.

We had been through this before, but it didn't feel any easier.  I still remember Maggie who came to us as a stray and broke our hearts when her turn came.  Unfortunately pets do not outlive their human companions.  I would like to thank Mary Ditta and Kate Albanese for helping me through a previous difficult time.See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2013/12/maggie.html

 I didn't always identify wanting cats around me.  How did I get converted to having cats be a big part of my life?   Lorri, my sister in law was crucial for this process. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/01/how-i-became-cat-lover.html

What have I learned?  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/10/philosophy-from-observing-cats.html  

A time when the whole world suffered, my cats helped me keep sane.   I would like to thank John Polkinghorne for putting a heated bathroom floor.  Both our cats loved it.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/05/my-two-cats-are-my-pandemic-saviours.html

 

If you got this far, thank you for letting me try to express my grief.  I do apologize for putting this together hastily, but it helps to alleviate my feelings a bit.  It will be a few days, if ever, I will feel normal.  We do have another cat, Izzy who is just noticing her brother is not around.  She will get more attention.