Sundance by Lydia

 

" Sundance "

April 2 1982 -------- Jan. 2 1999

I don't know what to say. It hurts so badly.

I loved Sundance. She was a huge part of the family.

They say cats are independent. No that's not true. She'd be

waiting at the door every time I came home. If I yelled at her

which didn't happen too often she'd go in the bathroom and howl.

I guess it echoed in there and made it seem more dramatic.

She loved to go outside but only if I was there. She'd never

leave my side. It was amazing how you could see every expression

on her face. You KNEW when she was happy sad tired.. I have a

plaque at home. It says

"If you want the best seat in the house you'll have to move the cat".

Isn't that the truth except I wouldn't move her. I'd sit on the floor or

another seat first. Nahhh.. she wasn't spoiled! much!

She was loved and pampered though.

 

We had another cat we loved too. His name was Piewacket

(from the movie "Bell Book and Candle") he was a long haired

pure black cat. We had to have him put to sleep in 1987 when he

was 10 years old. I thought it would kill us and Sundance.

She didn't eat for close to 2 months. Those two were close.

They were almost human in their closeness. One story I have proves it.

We were moving to Florida. My husband 2 daughters and the 2 parakeets

were in the Van and Sundance Piewacket and me in the car.

When we got close to Fla. it got hot and the AC wasn't working in the car.

I opened the window but that wasn't helping. Sundance was crying

at the windows and Piewacket was sitting in the shade behind

the front seat. All of a sudden I saw a flash of white at my open window.

I slammed my arm back and caught Sundance before she flew out

on the highway. We were on Rte 95 in the middle lane. My husband

was in the fast lane and I heard my daughters screaming since

they saw Sundance half out of the car. I swerved in front of everyone

to get to the break down lane and finally stopped.

My husband did the same and pulled in in front of me.

I pulled her in and started crying and yelling not to ever do that

again. She was crying and panting from the heat.

Piewacket got up sauntered to the front seat looked at her

meowed once and literally like a human slapped her in the face.

She had such a look on her face.. like 'how could you do that to

me?' but she stopped crying. She didn't make another sound,

she just stared at him with that hurt expression. He went back to

his spot and lied down again. Of course then I changed vehicles

with my husband and then I had the cats and the birds.

She'd let the birds sit on her head. Of course she wasn't

too pleased when they bit her but she wouldn't move.

If she found a bug she'd try to make a pet of it but she

wouldn't kill one. She was amazing.

Both cats were close to 20 lbs each. When Sundance died she was

down to 9lbs. She had gotten a kidney infection plus her bone

marrow wasn't making red blood cells anymore (cancer).

I was force feeding her 3 times a day trying to get her strong again

and giving her medicine for her kidney problems. I tried so hard.

But her legs started collapsing on her which made her panic.

I had to carry her that last day. It was SO fast though.

It seems like 2 weeks before she was okay just old. We took

her to the emergency Vet hospital at 12:15AM on Jan 2nd when

she started having trouble breathing too.

My husband and I both held her as she was put to sleep

and she was holding a pink carnation.

It hurts thinking I might have let her suffer but I had to try.

I hope to God I did the right thing trying for those 2 weeks

but I hope to God she didn't suffer.

Man this is hard... I miss my baby. I try to think that she's

back with Piewacket and happy...but it hurts still.

I just hope she didn't suffer.

After close to 17 years there are 10,001 stories.

No one can take that from me...

but she'll never yell at me again when her food isn't ready in time.

She'll never sleep with us again.

She'll never be a lap warmer in the winter.

She'll never eat off my plate again.

She'll never beat up our other cat Harley again.

She'll never be brushed again.

She'll never smell the flowers again.

She'll never be waiting at the door for me again.

She'll never follow me around again.

And I'll never have that special love and trust I got from her.

 

I hope my tears turn into smiles soon when I think about her.

 

Lydia

 

 

 

Sundance
Lydia