A Farewell to Sugar Plum, a Persian Princess Cat.
Ten long years you were with me. When I first got you home from a pet store, I did not realize how sick you were with all kinds of disease. Unfortunately you were the product of a “puppy mill”. Fortunately I adopted you. And with a few vet visits and much love and attention you developed into a healthy little princess.
And a fussy little princess you were.
You liked drinking from “moving” water, so you always dipped your paw into the water and set it in motion before you drank. You were a picky eater.
You had your special places to sleep and always plopped down next to me, wherever I sat. We had to pull up an extra chair to the dining table when we were eating. Though you never begged for food.
Best you loved it when I was at the computer. Because you were receiving a constant massage with my left hand while my right hand was moving the computer mouse.
And how you loved to have your long fur brushed, craning your little neck, sticking out your chest and grunting with pleasure.
You were a bit of a recluse and you did not like to play with Hucklebelly, another cat in the household, a super friendly male cat who occasionally wanted a bit of a romp with you. He never ceased to be perplexed about your hissing and unfriendly way with him.
You remained shy and distant, except with me. Eventually you even let a few select friends near you, but just barely so.
I remember waking up many a night from your wailing and crying downstairs. I don’t know what made you do that; did you feel lost and lonely? After you heard my voice and I put you on a blanket near my bed you calmed yourself. You sounded like a baby and you were such a baby, such a scaredycat baby.
I wonder whether you cried when you were lost in our neighborhood.
I am so sorry you wandered away from our house and never found your way back home.
I am sorry that none of the neighbors were able to catch you. I know you were scared and skittish. In the end a very nice neighbor lady came to your rescue and took you to a loving vet. But it was too late. You had injured yourself and the infection and lack of nourishment got the best of you.
This very nice vet found our phone number on your collar and called, but we were away and did not answer his call for two weeks. Nevertheless, he kept you all this time. He knew someone would come for you sooner or later. And the very nice neighbor lady paid for the emergency care.
I am so sorry you had such a miserable time near the end of your life. If you had not been so scared and skittish we could have saved you. Your name and our phone number were right on your collar.
Sweet little Sugarplum Princess you are in peace now.
Hucklebelly keeps looking for you and I am sick about losing you in such a way. I wanted always to protect you and make you feel good. I loved fussing over you.
I still see your round brown baby doll eyes looking at me, and lying all curled up in a ball of long beige fur, that one could not tell which was head and which was tail, all that long fine fur, some of it still clinging to my clothes.
Forgive me for letting you down in the end. Forgive me for not finding you and saving you.
My sweet little Sugar Plum Princess, we will always love you and never forget you.