Losing a Pet

10 years ago my husband came home with a big surprise. A cat! After we lost a kitten to leukemia 3 months prior we decided that any future cat would be from a rescue home.  So we welcomed Sable to the family. Since she was from a rescue facility we really didn’t know too much about her. We didn’t know her exact age but they guessed around 3 years old. She was an outdoor cat when she was rescued. She was spayed by the rescue house; they said she had a couple litters. Life was about to change drastically for our little Sable. She went from fending for herself outdoors to becoming an indoor cat and sharing the home with another treasured pet, our dog.

Over the course of 10 years she would help us welcome each of our 3 children into the family home. She learned where to pee and where to not pee (pee in the hubby’s shoes, not mine, lol!), she learned that the dog would always and forever be sniffing her butt, she learned that little ones were not always so gentle when it comes to tails and ears, and that the littlest loves her so much it is wise to run if an older child or adult isn’t around.  She is clearly much wiser after her time and experiences with our family. Oh how the children are going to miss her.

Since her main companion is a dog she has adopted some dog –like behaviors. She is very social and love sitting on laps, being pet, and receiving attention. She makes a mad dash to the kitchen when she hears the rustling of her treat bag and sits just like the dog in order to receive her treat. Her and the dog have such a similar relationship to the children it is amusing. In fact on evenings when the children are in bed and the house is quiet they usually start playing around….the cat always wins. And then seconds later you will find them curled up together and the cat licking the dogs face. Oh how the dog is going to miss her.

She is my little shadow. She likes racing me up and down the stairs during the day…she always wins. Haha! She snuggles up with me whenever I sit down. She sleeps just above my head on my pillow at night. She is so affectionate. She also drives me nuts at times with the messes and hairballs but they are all worth it! Before her I was never a cat person…I am not even sure if I would define myself as one now…I am a Sable person. Haha! Oh how I am going to miss her.

Over Christmas break we noticed a lump on her belly. We took her to the Veterinarian. They diagnosed her with breast cancer. Her prognosis was 3 weeks. It has been 3 weeks since that visit.  The mass continues to grow and now she starts bleeding at times. This is so hard. I understand that every living creature has a different lifetime and hers is coming to an end but when children are involved it amplifies the pain. As a mom all I want to do is ease their heartache and pain, I want to make it all better but they have to learn that mourning is a part of life. I have to allow them to feel, hurt, cry, and go through the process. To teach them that life will have pains and heartache and the appropriate way to process all those emotions.

I am just so grateful for the time we had, she’s been such a blessing to our family and has helped each family member grow in some form or another (Oh the things you learn from having a pet…patience, love, gentleness, compassion, responsibility, etc.). We will treasure the memories always.