Saturday, August 11, 2007

Weekend Cat Blogging #114: Remembering those who came before

Upsie and Sher at What Did You Eat lost dear little Sundance this past Friday. Even though they are working through great grief, they are still hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #114. I can think of no better way to honor Sundance. So I decided my post would be in honor of one who came before. Mom and Dad lost Baby to cancer just before they got me. He was only about three years old. But they weren't really sure of his age, as he just showed up in their back yard a few years back, a young neutered male in his prime. At first, Mom and Dad would only let him sleep on the back yard furniture.
But soon they were allowing him inside. He loved sleeping inside.
But he really loved sleeping with Dad

And he loved playing in water. Mom and Dad had to keep the toilet seats down, but if they forgot, he knew in a minute...

He also loved the laser light, and would chase it till he dropped. But after a while, Mom and Dad noticed he wasn't doing so well. His coat was getting rough, he was losing weight, and he didn't play like he used to, just slept (well, he always slept alot).

It took several trips to the vet to finally figure out he had a mass in his stomach that was likely cancer. Turned out he was FIV positive as well. This is one of the last pictures of Mom and Baby.
When Mom finally decided it was time, on a sunny Friday afternoon in late October, she made an appointment with our vet to take him in. But when she and Dad got home from work, he was no where to be found. They could hear him cry in the backyard, but couldn't find him. Dad looked over the back fence, and Baby looked up at him, extended his paws as if to say "Pick me up, I can't get over the fence!". It broke Dad's heart. He pulled a plank off the fence to let him through. Mom gathered him up and put him in his carrier and cried all the way to the vet. Normally, he would make a big fuss in the carrier, but this time he layed down and purred, slowly wagging his tail, as if to say "Its all right, its time". Mom was with him when he went.

Now Mom and Dad have me and Kavan. But they still miss Baby alot. I wish I could have known him. Mom can understand the pain of the loss of Sundance. But he is with Baby right now, happy and whole, and waiting for us at the Bridge.

16 comments:

Dragonheart, Merlin, Devi, and Chloe said...

Baby sounds like a very special cat. How sad that your humans lost him when he was so young. :( My mom still misses the one who came before me, Whiskers, but he had a good long life, and went to the Bridge just two months short of his 20th birthday.

Daisy said...

Thank you for sharing the memories of Baby. He sounds very wonderful. Your story made my eyes leak.

Samantha & Mom said...

What a great story! Mom's and our eyes are leaking. Baby was a cute and loving cat to your Mom and Dad, so sorry he left so young. Thanks for sharing.
Your FL furiends,

Pia K said...

What a touching post, which brings back a whole lot of sad memories for me... Loved the accompanying pictures, such a special little one.

The Meezers or Billy said...

aww Tara, that was a beautiful story. Baby sounds like a great boy. He's prolly having fun wif Trixie and Norton and Ralphie too while they all wait

Christine and FAZ said...

This is a good story it's important to remember our before friends. FAZ

Zippy, Sadie, Speedy and M'Gee said...

What a grate remembrance for baby. Mom's eyes leeked cuz she knows how hard that last trip is. I wonder if all of our "one's who came before" meet up at da bridge because we all talk about them?

Honey P. Sunshine said...

aw what a pretty baby. it's good to remember those babies we loved

Tyler said...

Ah this is too sad. I don't think my mom can take another good-bye story today. She's all sniveling and leaky. Makes her remember her Katie who left the same day I came. Maybe she should tell her story today, too.

Samantha & Mom said...

P.S. It was such fun to see you at the party, too. You are very cool!
Your FL furiends,

Victor Tabbycat said...

What a bittersweet story. Baby chose yur beans cuz he knew they'd be good to him.

Mosaic Cats said...

Oh this is so sad and so hard, isn't it?
Memories of loss and such deep love.
Yesterday our Walter would've been 11. The grief never ends.
And like your Baby, Walter knew IMMEDIATELY when a toilet lid had not been closed! Just exactly like your Baby.
And suddenly, instead of the fat, fluffy, white boy cat Mosaic Lady wanted to replace Walter, we have a tiny, all black, girl INTRUDER foster, sort of like Baby. And a foster like Sundance was!
That all somehow makes sense in some parallel kitty universe somewhere.
Right?
Thanks for the sweet post. It made ML cry. She seems to never stop that lately. Comes with the stinky goodness territory, we guess.

michico*Adan*Lego-小芥*阿丹*樂高 said...

Thank you for sharing this, and I am so sorry. I am also feel very very sad about this.....

Boy said...

Oh...Baby is a nice kitty.
I'm sure he's having fun at the other side of the Bwidge now.

DK & The Fluffies said...

Baby was such a lucky kitty to have met your lovely parents and to have enjoyed life so ~Purrs

Rosemary B❤️ said...

Baby was a beautiful kitty. What a wonderful thing that your mom and dad got to have him for a time.
This was very bittersweet. *sniff*


Purrrs, thanks for sharing
Princess