Author: Bruce

Nearly 16 years ago in the summer of 1987, a very sad looking stray cat took up residence under a neighbor’s house. With the house under construction, we decided to lure it out with some food to the safety of our yard.

The poor thing was so skinny and so sad looking, but it was so friendly that it came right out to me. With a little coaxing, it came over to our porch for some food and water. Little did we know, that it would stay the next few nights. Every time I walked out to the porch, she came up to me. She loved to be held, loved to be petted, and loved to rub up against my face. And I fell in love with her.

When my wife and I married, she already had two cats. Kitty, as I called her, quickly worked her way into our hearts. Before she came into our home, we wanted to make sure she was spayed and had all the necessary shots so that she couldn’t cause any illness to the other two.

As we were getting ready to take her to the vet, we noticed a discharge came out her back end, and that really worried us. At the vet’s office, he could tell she had a litter of kittens at one time and he was fearing there was still a dead kitten inside her. He promised to do all he could to make sure Kitty was Ok and ready for her new home.

The next day, we received a call from the vet’s receptionist that we needed to come to the office because it was important that talk to us about this cat. When we arrived at the office, he brought her to the examining room table. I was heartbroken at the way she looked. She had this giant sore underneath her eye that wasn’t there when we took her in.

The vet told us she was now spayed. She didn’t have a dead kitten inside her, but she had a diseased kidney that he removed. The sore was a warble that burrowed into her skin. He proceeded to tell us that he didn’t think she would live and that he would keep her in the office over the weekend for observation. If she died, she would then dispose of the cat. As he was telling us this, a giant tear formed in her eye above the sore, slowly rolled down her cheek onto the examination table. My heart was breaking for this poor cat. She and I formed a special bond during the few days that she was with us, and I wanted her to be with us. I was never able to have pets as I was growing up, and it was like she was destined to be “my little cat.”

On Monday, the vet called and indicated she survived the weekend and that we could come and pick her up. Although her appearance was still very sad looking, her eyes looked at me with happiness that she was now ready to go to her new home full of love.

The first couple of days were a little tense with the other two cats. We put Kitty upstairs while the others stayed downstairs. Kitty looked down from the top of the steps at them, and they kept looking up at here. Kitty took up residence on the second floor for now.

From her first day in the house, she promptly claimed a spot in the bed next to me. She always curled up in my arm pit area next to my face. And she has done that nearly every night for 16 years.

Her health has not been good since early summer. Age was taking it toll. Diabetes was setting in. Early this fall, she lost her hearing and I could see a continued weight loss start to occur. Throughout it all, night after night she loved for me to hold her; to have her sit on my lap; and to crawl into bed next to me. Every day when I came home, she was at the door to greet me.

This past weekend while I was away at a meeting, she suffered what appeared to be a minor stroke. Her ability to walk was slightly impaired, but it was clear
that extended walks wore her down.

Last night (our last night together), she tried to come upstairs to be bed, but she couldn’t make it. I gently picked her up and carried up to the bed and placed her in her usual spot. Kitty tucked her in the palm of my hand, continued to purr in my ear as she did for 16 years.

This morning, her health was not good at all, and we made the final trip to the vet. As she sat on the examination table, she looked at me with sad eyes once again, but they were sad because I believe she knew it was time to leave. This time, the tears rolled off my cheeks onto the table.

I am so thankful that I had Kitty in my life for the past 16 years. She was by best buddy and provided an unconditional love like I have never experienced before. She lifted my spirits when I was down. She comforted me when I was not feeling well. She gave me “kisses” day after day.

Tonight I will go up to bed, and there will be an empty spot next to me. There is a sadness and emptiness that I feel now unlike any other
I have experienced before.

This is tough, really tough to deal with today. Kitty is in my heart forever, and I hope I will be able to see her
some day when I move on.

Since Day 1, Kitty beat the odds. She found a good home when she had been adandoned. She found love when no one loved here. She lived the weekend when the vet didn’t think she would. She lived for 16 years with her one kidney. In the end, age caught up with her, and
she couldn’t beat those odds.

Kitty, rest in peace, my dear little cat. I love you and will miss you, but you will remain with me forever.