  Not Ranked. Helpful AND tactful post? : 0  Goodbye, Cassie | |
I only knew her 2 years, but she was a gallant old gal.
She turned 12 this month. Until last year, you never would have thought she was so old, watching her popcorn about her cage with her last surviving daughter. But when that daughter passed, she went straight downhill. She stopped moving around so much, and over the past few weeks couldn't even move her back legs. My SO's mom made an appointment with their vet for this Wednesday, and knew she likely wouldn't be coming back with her. In the mean time she stayed by her side as much as possible, helping her to her water bottle, and feeding her her favorite foods by hand.
Last night, my SO's parents were supposed to come over, but something told me it was a bad idea, so cancelled. Sure enough, a few hours later his mom called to say Cassie had died in her arms just a few minutes before. She hadn't eaten at all that day, and after I cancelled his mom decided to try one more food - the rarest treat of all, strawberries. She got her to eat one, and no more. About 10 minutes later she snuggled back into her towel, closed her eyes, and stopped breathing.
She was the oldest of the bunch, one of those who, as so often happens, came from a petstore pregnant. She was one of the rare lucky ones though, taken into a well-informed family. They knew who the father was - the old boar no one had wanted there that they'd also taken, who was also her father. Despite all the inbreeding, she had four happy, healthy babies. When the neighbors moved a few weeks later, they also took in their two babies, whom Cassie adopted as her own. They all lived to be between 9 and 11 - there's something to be said about being fed only fresh, organic food. We guess that after living through all that death, she was finally ready to go herself.
She was also the one who was my SO's - the first pet he got to call truely 'his', and who he took care of himself until moving in with me. He's taking it rather hard, and feels he should have been the one to be there when she left. We're going over there tonight to help bury her with her 6 sons and daughters, her 'mate', all the old kitty friends, and the dog. All of the original bunch of the pets are together now.
So, goodbye, Cassie. I for one, am happy you get to be with your family again.   | 
08-14-06, 10:58 am
