Relishing borrowed time...
Hope, my 15-year-old, black & white female feline, and I, her pet parent, came to the juncture of that crossroad I’d written about in Eva’s Byte # 278. On September 15, 2020, we came full circle, heading back once more, in the off-hours of an evening, to the 24-hr. MA-RI Veterinary ER, where we started in July.
Hope and I relished our borrowed time together as the medications for her conditions seemed to have an effect some days, though not on others. Over the course of several weeks, we were frequent flyers to the neighborhood animal hospital for medication tweaks or injections.
Still, we kept our chins up.
We’d engage in our cat-mouse games as I’d try to outwit her in fetching her for those administrative ordeals. Then, she’d soak up the love in my arms afterward. Hope always maintained a hardy appetite and sassy attitude through all of her setbacks and triumphs.
There’d be times she’d demonstrate far more common sense than I by interrupting what I was doing so we could spend some quality time together. On those occasions, Hope led me to the catnip toy station she had organized for herself in my office. Through her euphoric play, I’d be down on all fours petting and kissing her.
Always optimistic, but on the fence from one day to the next, the violent flare-up Hope experienced left no doubt in my mind as to the decision I made on her behalf. She knew because I was able to put, an otherwise feisty gal, inside her pet carrier without a struggle.
Awaiting her cremains, I’ve arranged a shelf with mementos, including one of her favorite catnip bananas. The shelf is located directly below the one which honors Misty, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge on February 21st. I take solace believing they’re together as they had been for fifteen years.
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Sandie
Those felines kept your nest from being empty all those years. But I'm not sure about keeping mementos and ashes of pets helps you feel better. I had the neighbor whose son was responsible for killing my Jazz with his Labrador mix bury him in the mid front yard where he has been fertilizing the grass and a newly planted crêpe myrtle this year.
Being unable to corral him, although he was a good and obedient dog, I decided not to get a replacement or even to have any mementos except a couple of pictures that remind me of him and his love of me even when I no longer fed and watered him.
Ron
Mark