Unwelcome news

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

When I split up with my ex in 1993, because I was absolutely broke, I took my cat to him and asked him to take her until I could get some money.

My ex being my ex, he refused to return her. But she was healthy and being fed and, as he had completely cleaned out my bank account and taken out vast amounts of credit in my name, I couldn't take her back and risk her starving.

I've only seen her a handful of times since then, but she remembered me, I'm sure of it, as she alway came out to make a huge fuss of me.

I handreared her from about 6 weeks old - she was abandoned outside a shelter and wasn't expected to make it through the night with the huge cats that shared the shed at the rescue centre.

They didn't do a home check, they could see that I was enormously pregnant at the time and I was only 19 (and very baby faced, so I looked nearer 14). They were so desperate to get her rehomed that day, they offered to give me a tenner's worth of cat food if I would take her there and then.


I have just been told by accident that she died on the same day that I brought her home in 1992. She spent the day snoring in the sunshine, scrounged some ham from the ex's father (who she followed around all day, completely ignoring the ex for all those years), and then curled up on the sofa cushions (breaking all the rules of the house - as usual) and went to sleep.


Now, I fed her every hour. I picked every single flea off her tiny body (124 - I counted the blasted things) as she was too small and weak for flea spray. I taught her to use a litter tray by rubbing her belly to encourage her to use it. I even carried her round hidden down my jumper, sitting on my bump, as I felt she was too small and weak to be left at home when I went out for the day.

Even though I hadn't seen her for years, and nobody thought it important enough to tell me, I loved that moody, gingery tabbag and consoled myself with the thought that she was wandering around the ex's house breaking all the rules and behaving exactly as I had taught her.

So, I'm sat here crying, wishing I had seen her and given her one last fuss.


Night, Spice. Sorry I wasn't there, pickle.


NB - Please - NO RAINBOW BRIDGE. She wasn't my cat anymore.

jenhug

I'm sorry for your loss, but i need to correct you, she might not have lived with you, but a cat chooses who to bond with. She chose YOU. You were hers and she was yours. That will always be.
Sweet dreams Spice.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Thank you.

She was 18 and a half. So a very old lady.

Sounds like she had a perfect day, though. Which I am glad of.


and strangely enough, answers why I dreamed of her jumping on my bed amongst my 3 here a few weeks ago.

[b~*gger, welling up again]

Mely

Im so sorry x

ameliarate

How sad, but you know, if it hadn't been for you she may have had either a crap life or no life so remember you did a good thing for a helpless animal animal. Well done you.

925dancer

She may not have lived with you anymore but she was and always will be yours and you hers.

Every animal leaves an indelible pawprint and purr in our hearts and souls.

My childhood/teenage cat lives with my mum, who I am estranged from but she will still always be my baby and although when I was still in touch I saw her infrequently, she always knew it was me and always shouted at me hello when she saw me.

So you go ahead and grieve and do whatever feels right.