May 1 1994 —- Feb. 14 2000
Cat
WE TOOK RUBY RUE BECAUSE MY AUNT WAS DYING WITH CANCER
AND SHE WAS LIVING WITH HER SISTER.
THEY NEVER HAD CATS SO THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE HER TO
THE ASPCA AND WE SAID NO WE WILL TAKE HER.
I ALREADY HAD 3 CATS AND HAVE HAD CATS SINCE I WAS 6 YEARS OLD.
MY FIRST CAT LIVED TO BE 26-1/2 YEARS OLD.
TILL A DOG GOT HOLD OF HER AND WE HAD TO PUT HER ASLEEP.
SO WE TOOK RUBY HOME. SHE HAD NEVER BEEN OUTSIDE BUT TWICE
IN HER LIFE AND SHE WAS THEN 4 YEARS OLD.
BUT AFTER A WHILE OF BEING OUT SHE DIDN’T WANT TO STAY IN.
I TOOK HER BACK ONCE TO SEE MY AUNT SHE WAS SO UPSET SHE SAID
“SHE DOESN’T REMEMBER ME.” BUT SHE KNEW SHE WOULD
BE LOVED AND CARED FOR WITH ME.
WHEN I GOT MARRIED I BROUGHT RUBY TO MY NEW HOUSE AND LEFT
MY OTHER 3 HOME WITH MY MOM AND DAD.
MY HUSBAND LOVED RUBY AND WE HAD A GREAT LIFE TOGETHER.
I STILL WENT ALL THE TIME TO SEE MY OTHER BABIES.
THEN ONE NIGHT MY HUSBAND CAME HOME FROM WORK AND PICKED
UP RUBY AND I NOTICED BLOOD ON HER MOUTH SHE WAS 16 AND
I THOUGHT MAYBE SHE HAD BROKEN A TOOTH SO WE TOOK
HER TO THE VET THAT NIGHT.
BUT IT WASN’T THAT SIMPLE IT WAS A CANCEROUS TUMOR
ON HER TONGUE. I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. SO THEY DID SURGERY
ON HER AND REMOVED HALF OF HER TONGUE.
THE VET SAID IF THE TUMOR HADN’T OF BEEN ABLE TO PEEL BACK
SOME THEY WOULDN’T OF BEEN ABLE TO DO ANYTHING.
SO HE SAID SHE WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO EAT.
BUT AFTER WE GOT HER BACK HOME SHE WOULDN’T EAT
AND I HAD TO FEED HER BABY FOOD.
AND THEN I SAW HER WALK DOWN OUR HALL AND IT SEEMED AS
IF SHE WAS WAITING FOR HER BACK FEET TO CATCH UP WITH HER.
I TOLD MY HUSBAND SHE WASN’T GETTING ANY BETTER.
SO WE WENT TO TAKE HER TO THE VET AND AS SOON AS I GOT IN
THE CAR SHE PEEDED ON ME. SO I HAD TO GO CHANGE.
THEN WE LEFT FOR THE VETS.
HE SAID HE COULDN PUT A FEEDING TUBE IN HER.
BUT THAT DIDN’T MEAN IT WOULD HELP HER ANYMORE.
WE COULDN’T BEAR TO PUT HER THOUGH ANYMORE.
SHE WAS 16 1/2 YEARS OLD AND I HAD HER FOR 12 1/2 YEARS
AND I KNEW IT WAS TIME TO LET HER GO.
I COULD TELL IT IN HER EYES SHE WAS READY EVEN THOUGH
I WASN’T. I FELT I HAD LET HER DOWN SOMEHOW.
BUT THE VET SAID THERE WAS NO WAY OF CATCHING IT ANY EARLIER.
SO WITH THAT WE HAD TO SAY GOOD BYE TO OUR LITTLE GIRL.
IT SEEMS SO FUNNY THAT MY AUNT HAD DIED WITH CANCER
AND THEN HER CAT WOULD ALSO.
Tara
| Ruby Rue |