Yes Virginia there are 4-footed family members. And we grief their loss immensely!

We lost our cat of 18 years on Monday!  With 38 years of marriage we’ve had our share of pets come and go. It’s never easy to loose one.  ”Kitty” was in our family longer than any other pet.  He followed our  oldest son home from the park when he was a kitten. We didn’t name him because we really didn’t think he’d stay around. Soon our son joined the Navy and left his kitty to be raised by us.

Kitty wasn’t particularly cuddly.  Like many felines he was independent and not  keen on being held  or being petted. He had a two pat rule with most folks.  After two pats you’d get a little bite!  And until our Grand daughter was born in 2003 he didn’t even like kids! *another story about a nephew who swung him around by his tail when he was a kitten* When Breanna was just learning to talk and Kitty had not yet decided that there were some kind kids in this world. We’d ask Breanna what a duck says and she’d quack. We’d ask her what a doggy says and she’d bark. We’d ask her what a cat says and she’d say “Meow HSSSSSS“.

Yet, he had certain personality traits that set him apart and leaves a tangible loss in our home. Like the fact that he always stood up to look out the front door when we returned from walking our dog.  Or his crazy ambition to destroy ribbons of any kind (wrapping gifts was always a challenge) and getting so excited when we removed silk from corn on the cob that he’d push over the trash can to get to the silks & husks.

He had special games that he played with Tommy that he played with no one else. If Tommy walked passed the dining room table and Kitty was there he’d bat his elbow.  Almost like he was picking a fight!  Also unique to his relationship with Tommy was that he never missed begging for food when Tommy ate!

He spent most of his nights on the end of our bed until the jump on and off became too much of an effort for him.  On days that I was “horizontal” from multiple sclerosis, he always knew I wasn’t well and stayed right  by my side. When alone in the house I don’t tend to shut the bathroom door, ((TMI)) Yet my DIL says her cat does this too and that I should share:  It was when sitting in the bathroom that Kitty ALWAYS came in for extended petting and would purr.  Don’t know when I’ll be able to sit in the bathroom again without remembering my potty companion.

Our Golden Retriever “Bus” came  into the family when Kitty was about 7 and  it was the puppy who was timid around the cat. Kitty showed Bus who was boss right off the bat and even when our puppy became a 115lb dog she never doubted that Kitty was her big brother. They seemed to enjoy each other’s company. I often found them sleeping together.

People just don’t discuss their grief over lost pets in detail.  But I know I’m not alone in shedding these tears.

Yesterday we received  a sympathy card from our Veterinarian office-very touching.