Today, I have sad news to share. Earlier this week, Logan and I said goodbye to our furry family member Christie the Cat.
During the last month, Christie's health started to decline at a steady rate. She stopped grooming, lost interest in the things she loved doing, and rarely cuddled us. Last week, we became very concerned. She didn't eat or drink for 24-hours, so Logan and I took her to our veterinarian on Friday, February 26, 2021.
The news wasn't good. Dr. Moore, our veterinarian, said that Christie's weight had declined another ten percent. For a tiny cat, the news of more weight loss took my breath away. Then Dr. Moore told us that Christie developed abdominal tumors. I started crying. This was very bad news.
After talking with Dr. Moore, we decided to take Christie home for the weekend. Christie was given medication and fluids to keep her comfortable. That gave us a few more days to say goodbye.
Thankfully, Christie's last weekend was good. She ate tuna, slept on her heating pad, and wandered around with me in the early morning hours. I spent most of the weekend by her side. When Christie wasn't sleeping, she looked at us with so much love.
By Monday morning, Logan and I agreed it was time to let Christie go. Christie would have faced further weight loss, fast growing abdominal tumors, and pain. Euthanasia was the best option for Christie. It wasn't a decision we made lightly. And we couldn't have made the choice without Dr. Moore's wisdom, kindness, and compassion. We are grateful for Dr. Moore, Dr. Klein, and the whole team at Forest Animal Hospital. They are amazing humans.
Letting go of Christie was difficult and painful. And I’m grateful; grateful that she died peacefully. Dr. Moore and Jennifer—a kind vet technician—were with Christie as she died. Jennifer said Christie was ready to go and that she did not suffer. Goodbyes are hard and beautiful.
I keep expecting to hear Christie meow, saunter by slowly, or greet us at the door. Yesterday, I woke up from a nap panicked because we didn't have tuna for Christie's daily dose of medication. When I realized she was gone, I cried. It's going to take time to adjust.
In The Inner Life of Cats, author Thomas McNamee, wrote:
“ ... We love our cats with a purity and grace not possible in our love of our spouses, our parents, or even our children. People are too complicated for love as simple as what we bear to our cats. It is not agape, phileo, caritas, amor, or eros (roughly: selfless love, brotherly love, love of humankind, romantic love, and erotic love, respectively). I believe it has never been named. The kinship between our cats and ourselves reaches deep beneath consciousness, to a place before history, perhaps even before the development of self-expressible human intellect ... It is devotional, like prayer, and like prayer it is met with silence. Our devotion is what gives cats their power.”
And indeed, Christie was worth all the things – love, time, money, attention, and more.
I could write a book of stories featuring Christie. For example, Christie loved living in Siskiyou County. She was especially fond of our morning photos walks. Christie would follow me around with her tail straight up in the air. She looked like a little lion, and was so strong and fast! Christie even followed me into a wind storm; her tiny 8-pound body was at risk of being blown away. We ran back to the house together and snuggled.
I'm sad that Christie is gone. And, I keep coming back to gratitude. I’m grateful that she was part of our lives for 17.5 years. Christie had a long and adventurous life, and was a sweet and loving companion. She lived out her senior years in style and she will be in our memories forever.
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Now onto this week's links …
1. When Your Marriage (and Cat) Turn 17-Years-Old is a letter I wrote in July 2020 about how Christie came into our lives.
2. The Inner Life of Cats by Thomas McNamee is a beautiful, honest, and informative book. Before Elaina's cancer diagnosis in 2018, I discovered McNamee's book. It’s one of the few books that I’ve keep on my tiny bookshelf because it’s so good. Over the last month, I re-read sections of the book. McNamee’s chapter on illness, aging, and death was particularly helpful. Christie, like many cats, was good at hiding her suffering. As a cat parent, it's so important to pay attention.
3. An Intermission from Instagram by Rebecca Green is a helpful essay about the benefits and downsides of Instagram. I hope you read the essay and explore Rebecca's website. I adore her art! In 2014, Rebecca illustrated our tiny house for Flow Magazine. Long story short: Rebecca sent me the illustrations for free! She didn't want the illustrations to sit in a drawer, and she requested that we frame the pieces. We framed the art and I love looking at it daily. I adore the portrait she drew of Christie and Elaina.
The Girls
Art by Rebecca Green
4. I'll leave you with The Rainbow Bridge, a beautiful poem, that our vet gave us:
By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of a man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.
For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.
No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.
They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.
For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.
The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over... together.
—Author unknown
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Thank you for reading! If you find joy or inspiration from my work, please share it with a friend—or say thanks with a coffee.
With gratitude,
Tammy Strobel