In 1992 I got Sunshine (she is on the right in the picture), a solid white female domestic long hair, from the Tampa Humane Society. She was about a year old when I got her.
When I moved in 1995 I told her I would get her a brother. I went back to the Tampa Humane Society and in the exact same cage Sunshine was in before was a solid white male domestic short hair. I took him home and named him Casper.
Sunshine and Casper ate together, slept together and played together. Sunshine would often lick Casper on the head. This appeared to be one way she showed affection for Casper.
Casper was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure September 17, 2007. While he endured IVs for a year, she was always at his side. In September 2008 Casper was diagnosed with cancer. The vet thought he would live only 3-5 days. He lived 163 days and on March 6, 2009 the vet said “it is time” and Casper died in my arms.
Sunshine adapted rather well to the loss of her brother and kept her normal routine of eating, sleeping, and checking out birds, squirrels and the rabbit in my back yard, from her vantage
point on the screened porch.
In September 2009 I began to notice Sunshine was losing weight and not eating a lot of food. A trip to the vet revealed 1 kidney was functioning properly and she had arthritis in her hips. No sign of any cancerous masses. All vital signs were normal.
Exactly three weeks later, on October 13, 2009 I took her back to the vet as she was having trouble swallowing. She had developed a large cancerous mass under her chin. The cancerous mass continued down the side of her throat. The vet said “it is time” and Sunshine died in my arms. I buried her beside Casper in the back yard.
For 17 years she was a bright spot in my life. She was a stabilizing factor through my good times, bad times, sad times and glad times. Her presence helped extend Casper’s life while he was sick.
It is comforting to know both Sunshine and Casper are together again, pain free, and with God. I am blessed to have had both cats for so long.
RIP my little girl, I will always love you.
(For my tribute to Casper, see Reflections of Time, number 76320)
With Love,
| Ed Sellers |