My sweet sissy girl died on July 11, 2010. She was just over 13 years old. I hope it is okay to type this here in memory of her even though I am new to this forum.
Sissy was the only female indoor animal I have ever had. When I got her, she was about 2 years old. My ex husband and I were browsing at a shelter one day when I was pregnant with my older son (who is now almost 12) and we saw these two cats in a cage together...they were right in the front of the place too. He immediately told me he wanted those cats! They looked like two cats from his childhood and he just had to have them. Me, I didn't want cats. We had a baby on the way and I didn't want the hair and the litter. Well, we went home and he drove me nuts until we went back and got the cats. They had been totally declawed and their owner had died. When she passed, the family gave the cats to the shelter.
When we brought the cats home, my gorgeous bluepoint siamese (mix) got all of the attention. We even had one friend who called Sissy the "ugly one." But I never thought that. Sure, she was your average tabby cat, but she had long fur and her personality matched mine to a T. There was never a more perfect cat for me.
We moved 9 times in 5 years and Blue and Sissy made each and every journey with us. When my ex and I divorced in 2002, I told him the cats were mine. He obliged and that was that.
Sissy hated to have her face touch your face. Blue, to this day, will head-butt you with his head if you lean toward him. Sissy would shrink back into her body before she let you touch her face with yours. She hated to have her belly rubbed. Sometimes, she would even bite at my hand if I accidentally rubbed her belly. She loved to watch things move outside. She would sit at the sliding glass doors in one of my old apartments and watch the birds and squirrels and make this really funny little noise that sounded like she was talking. She was a mother hen to Blue. He was never quite clean enough for her liking, so she was always grooming him. Some of the ways they laid together were just priceless. If Sissy happened to get trapped in a closet or bedroom, Blue would raise all sorts of chaos and meow to the top of his lungs to let us know she was missing. If Blue got locked in a closet or bedroom, Sis stretched out a little further on the couch and waited for us to hear him crying. LOL She was a very laid back kitty - unless you opened a can of tuna or a window. Both would send her flying to you.
In May of 2010, I noticed Sissy looked really thin and when I petted her, I could feel her spine. However her stomach was still quite plump. Old age, I figured. I decided to feed her some canned food and fatten her up. I actually let myself believe, for awhile, that she just needed to have softer food since her teeth weren't so great. Deep down, though, I knew it wasn't good. I think I truly knew from the second I noticed the weight loss. I put off taking her to the vet (as much for me as anything else...I was scared to hear the diagnosis). When I finally did, it took my vet about 30 seconds to tell me there was a mass the size of an orange in her abdomen. I just started bawling. He truly had to wait for me to compose myself before he could continue. "Is it cancer?" His response still haunts me.. "I am 100% sure it is cancer." I don't know how he knew, I guess all the years of doing this job...but he knew just as much as I knew.
The month or so that went by after that is a real blur. Sissy got progressively worse. I was, however, very thankful they did not open her up to do surgery. The did an ultrasound and realized the tumor was in her stomach and was inoperable. I still thank God that she didn't have to recover from a surgery that couldn't have saved her anyway.
During the time after the ultrasound, I spent the weeks saying Goodbye to my best friend. I spent time grieving for her and grieving for Blue - knowing how much it would hurt him to lose her. I remember worrying about whether or not I would know when it was "time." I cried a lot. I prayed a lot. I held her and loved on her a lot. What I wouldn't give to hold her and love on her right now.
It was a Sunday morning. I opened her can of food and she didn't come. I looked for her and she was laying down upstairs. I picked her up and carried her down to the food. She couldn't raise up and her back legs didn't work. I laid her on a blanket while I went to get my husband. When we came back, she had dragged herself to a rug in the bathroom and she was breathing funny. Just like everyone told me I would...I knew it was time.
I wrapped her in a comforter and held her all the way to the vet (an hour drive). I sang to her, I kissed her, I talked to her and I sobbed while my husband drove. When we got to the vet, I was crying so hard, I couldnt' breathe. They came in an explained what would happen, but I was just rocking and singing to her softly over and over... "No more sorrow, no more pain" from the Christian song, "I will Rise" by Chris Tomlin. I kissed her goodbye and she was gone. I felt her body just...stop...in my arms.
The hour ride home was hard. I debated on letting the boys see her...on letting Blue see/smell her. I decided not to do that to Blue. He knew she was sick. He knew she smelled different. He knew she was dying. He had known probably before I knew. He had said goodbye to her...I know he had. They were as close as any two animals I have ever seen.
He cried for months after she died. He would wander the halls crying for her. The kittens have lessened the pain for him some, but he still misses her. I know he does. And you know what...so do I. I miss her every day. She will always be my sweet Sissy girl.
Thank you for letting me share.
The last time they snuggled this way...the day we found out it was inoperable.
They loved each other SO much!
Sissy was the only female indoor animal I have ever had. When I got her, she was about 2 years old. My ex husband and I were browsing at a shelter one day when I was pregnant with my older son (who is now almost 12) and we saw these two cats in a cage together...they were right in the front of the place too. He immediately told me he wanted those cats! They looked like two cats from his childhood and he just had to have them. Me, I didn't want cats. We had a baby on the way and I didn't want the hair and the litter. Well, we went home and he drove me nuts until we went back and got the cats. They had been totally declawed and their owner had died. When she passed, the family gave the cats to the shelter.
When we brought the cats home, my gorgeous bluepoint siamese (mix) got all of the attention. We even had one friend who called Sissy the "ugly one." But I never thought that. Sure, she was your average tabby cat, but she had long fur and her personality matched mine to a T. There was never a more perfect cat for me.
We moved 9 times in 5 years and Blue and Sissy made each and every journey with us. When my ex and I divorced in 2002, I told him the cats were mine. He obliged and that was that.
Sissy hated to have her face touch your face. Blue, to this day, will head-butt you with his head if you lean toward him. Sissy would shrink back into her body before she let you touch her face with yours. She hated to have her belly rubbed. Sometimes, she would even bite at my hand if I accidentally rubbed her belly. She loved to watch things move outside. She would sit at the sliding glass doors in one of my old apartments and watch the birds and squirrels and make this really funny little noise that sounded like she was talking. She was a mother hen to Blue. He was never quite clean enough for her liking, so she was always grooming him. Some of the ways they laid together were just priceless. If Sissy happened to get trapped in a closet or bedroom, Blue would raise all sorts of chaos and meow to the top of his lungs to let us know she was missing. If Blue got locked in a closet or bedroom, Sis stretched out a little further on the couch and waited for us to hear him crying. LOL She was a very laid back kitty - unless you opened a can of tuna or a window. Both would send her flying to you.
In May of 2010, I noticed Sissy looked really thin and when I petted her, I could feel her spine. However her stomach was still quite plump. Old age, I figured. I decided to feed her some canned food and fatten her up. I actually let myself believe, for awhile, that she just needed to have softer food since her teeth weren't so great. Deep down, though, I knew it wasn't good. I think I truly knew from the second I noticed the weight loss. I put off taking her to the vet (as much for me as anything else...I was scared to hear the diagnosis). When I finally did, it took my vet about 30 seconds to tell me there was a mass the size of an orange in her abdomen. I just started bawling. He truly had to wait for me to compose myself before he could continue. "Is it cancer?" His response still haunts me.. "I am 100% sure it is cancer." I don't know how he knew, I guess all the years of doing this job...but he knew just as much as I knew.
The month or so that went by after that is a real blur. Sissy got progressively worse. I was, however, very thankful they did not open her up to do surgery. The did an ultrasound and realized the tumor was in her stomach and was inoperable. I still thank God that she didn't have to recover from a surgery that couldn't have saved her anyway.
During the time after the ultrasound, I spent the weeks saying Goodbye to my best friend. I spent time grieving for her and grieving for Blue - knowing how much it would hurt him to lose her. I remember worrying about whether or not I would know when it was "time." I cried a lot. I prayed a lot. I held her and loved on her a lot. What I wouldn't give to hold her and love on her right now.
It was a Sunday morning. I opened her can of food and she didn't come. I looked for her and she was laying down upstairs. I picked her up and carried her down to the food. She couldn't raise up and her back legs didn't work. I laid her on a blanket while I went to get my husband. When we came back, she had dragged herself to a rug in the bathroom and she was breathing funny. Just like everyone told me I would...I knew it was time.
I wrapped her in a comforter and held her all the way to the vet (an hour drive). I sang to her, I kissed her, I talked to her and I sobbed while my husband drove. When we got to the vet, I was crying so hard, I couldnt' breathe. They came in an explained what would happen, but I was just rocking and singing to her softly over and over... "No more sorrow, no more pain" from the Christian song, "I will Rise" by Chris Tomlin. I kissed her goodbye and she was gone. I felt her body just...stop...in my arms.
The hour ride home was hard. I debated on letting the boys see her...on letting Blue see/smell her. I decided not to do that to Blue. He knew she was sick. He knew she smelled different. He knew she was dying. He had known probably before I knew. He had said goodbye to her...I know he had. They were as close as any two animals I have ever seen.
He cried for months after she died. He would wander the halls crying for her. The kittens have lessened the pain for him some, but he still misses her. I know he does. And you know what...so do I. I miss her every day. She will always be my sweet Sissy girl.
Thank you for letting me share.
The last time they snuggled this way...the day we found out it was inoperable.
They loved each other SO much!
