I was there nearly 20 years ago when Powder Puff came into this world, and sadly yesterday I was there when she left it.
Powder was one of eight kittens born to my beloved childhood cat, Fluffer. Tragically, Fluffer passed away only five days after her kittens were born. Against the odds, my family and I were able to save the kittens by bottle-feeding them and acting as surrogate parents. Once old enough, seven of the kittens were adopted by carefully screened families, while Powder Puff was chosen to stay with me.
Growing up without a feline mother caused some abnormalities for Powder Puff. She truly thought she was human – and acted as such. She never meowed like a cat, but instead made sounds that sounded very much like human speech – with the same syllabic structure and intonation. When I came home and said “Hello, Powder Puff”, she would respond back to me in a similar manner (although it sound more like “mra mra mra mra mra). We had some very interesting and amusing conversations – and it always seemed like we completely understood each other. If Powder had been human, she would have been the type of human that was not fond of cats – as she was never a friend to the other felines in our household. She always felt that she was much superior to them. It was obvious that I was her favourite human, however she did eventually grow to love her “Uncle Danny” (who is a year younger than her), and although she didn’t always show it, I know
that she loved her Grama too.
Powder was my best friend growing up – and in a way, we grew up together. I was only 10 when she was born, and she quickly became the centre of my life. We had family portraits done together, we would sing and dance together, and occasionally we would play dress-up (although she was never too fond of this). One day, while dressed in a pretty, yellow dress Powder escaped out our front door. Desperate to find her, I posted “Cat Missing” signs throughout the neighbourhood with the explanation “last seen wearing a yellow dress”. She did return a day later, however had managed to get undressed, and left the dress behind – I guess she felt
it was not up to her fashion standards.
Throughout my teenage years, Powder was my support. She helped me through those difficult times, and could easily cheer me up with a simple nudge and purr. Very few nights in my life have been spent without her at my side. After finishing University, I moved out of my family home into an apartment that did not allow pets. Although I knew that Powder would eventually be joining me “secretly”, I had arranged for her to stay with my mother just until I got settled in and could sneak her in unnoticed. I visited her almost everyday, but she became very depressed and refused to eat. It was apparent how devastated she was by this living arrangement, and she soon took her spot as Queen of the apartment where her appetite and energy quickly resumed.
About 4 years ago, an annual wellness test at the veterinarian showed that Powder had the beginning stages of kidney disease. Thankfully, this was caught early, and daily medication and sub-q fluids prevented the progression of this illness. (Note: to those of you with older pets – wellness testing is worth the expense! I could have lost my beloved Powder so much soon than I did had I not made this decision). Although the first few weeks of treatment was hard on both of us, Powder soon became accustomed to her daily medication routine, and showed no signs of illness. At her checkups, her amazing veterinarian always remarked how good she looked for her age – a compliment I’m sure Powder understood and appreciated.
Even the most advanced medical treatments can’t stop the clock from ticking, and it appears that brain disease was eventually the cause of Powder’s passing. Although, I am so thankful for the many terrific years we had together, I know the grief will last a long time – particularly when I crawl into bed each night and realize she’s not there.
For those of you who are reading – cherish every moment you have with your precious pets. You never know when their time here will be over. In memory of my forever-loved princess, please give your pets a hug and a kiss after reading this.
Forever with you,
| Powder Puff |
| Paula Stanley |