Six years since Emily died

An IV and two shots ended 12 years of purrs, headbutts, hugs, cuddles, snuggles, warm laps, greetings, cat games, stealing chairs, and furry feet under bathroom doors. Emily should be 18 today and I always expected her to live at least that long. Instead, she is in heaven waiting for me to join her in a few decades. She was my favorite cat until I adopted Wilbur. I will never forget paws in the water, rubber bands in the food, her tongue on plastic bags, and the loud sound of a chase game every night. I will never forget Mom losing her seat because Emily wanted to sit on the warm one, not being able to finish an article because Emily was sitting on it, playing softball with crumpled foil, and crying on a kitty. Why did I have to lose such a sweet, adorable, loving cat so soon? 

Unfortunately I also will never forget the suffering that led to her premature death or my guilt that I made her suffer way too long before kidney failure was diagnosed. Her last vet bill - $594.50 for overnight ER care, testing, euthanasia, and burial - will never be forgotten either.

I guessed her birthday by counting backward eight weeks from the date she arrived at the shelter. She was nine weeks old when I got her.

The epitaph is not just about the fact that after adopting her, I never want to live without a cat again. It is also about the fact that having her led to the inspiration to start my own cat rescue organization (long story about that).

                                            

They never really leave us, because so many of our experiences with them have an impact on our lives even years later. I still find myself recalling childhood pets and what they meant to me.

jcat said:

They never really leave us, because so many of our experiences with them have an impact on our lives even years later. I still find myself recalling childhood pets and what they meant to me.

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That definitely is true with Emily. Because of her my sister gave me a Cat Fancy subscription for Christmas in 1994. While reading each 1995 issue, I learned about what different cat rescue organizations are doing through both a monthly department and feature articles. I also learned a lot in other articles that made a lighbulb go off in my head. It was like doing a jigsaw puzzle. By the end of the year I felt my purpose in life is to start a no-kill network of foster homes with an adoption center by taking ideas from different organizations. That dream did not die when my beloved Emily did, of course.

I already created and copyrighted a logo for it based on the belief that cats touch our hears in life and live in the them after they die. The color and font type of the text will be changed, but this is the design:



Of course, it does not take away the thought that Emily did leave me six years ago because her body is buried somewhere, not in my condo. I decided when she died to look for a kitten with a similar purrsonaity. Before that, I decided to name my next female tuxedo Queen Emily 2.

What a beauty Emily was!  And how I share many of those memories of loved ones waiting for me/us at the Bridge.  You are paying the very greatest tribute to her loving nature and her memory that there could ever be, by helping other deserving and wonderful cats to have what EVERY cat deserves -- a loving, forever home.  

Tarasgirl06 said:

What a beauty Emily was! And how I share many of those memories of loved ones waiting for me/us at the Bridge. You are paying the very greatest tribute to her loving nature and her memory that there could ever be, by helping other deserving and wonderful cats to have what EVERY cat deserves -- a loving, forever home.

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Amen! I am not doing it as a tribute to her, but because she was the catalyst for my cats-only organization.          

Of course, I will always hate the timing and cause of Emily's death. The guilt will never go away. Everyone tells me it was not my fault like it is impossible to know something was wrong when the red flags should have been obvious.

So sorry, hon. I lost my Candy ten weeks ago. The pain will never go away, but they are always with us.

I believe that regret is regrettable, except inasmuchas it is educational.  And whatever reason(s) prompted your labors of love, I applaud them.

Beautiful Emily