He Wasn’t Just a Cat………
He was my buddy. Yesterday started out normally. My cat Roddy woke me up, and we snuggled and played for a bit. About an hour or two later, my husband came home from a job interview and joked that Roddy was doing a good job blocking passes. He was lying on the floor by the bedroom door as he often did, and as I walked by to go to the bathroom, I commented that he was having a good snooze. Little did I know..
A minute later my husband started screaming.
“Something’s wrong with Roddy!”
“What?” I replied.
“Something’s wrong with Roddy!”
“What do you mean? I am using the bathroom, you have to tell me what you mean!” I called back.
He was freaking out. “He’s unconscious!”
I ran out to the living room where he’d carried him and took him in my arms. He was warm, but completely limp. His eyes were open but there was no life in them. I checked for a heartbeat, a breath….
“Oh baby no! Honey, I don’t think he’s breathing! Get the carrier, QUICK!”
I was shaking, pleading with him and God to be okay. Sobbing and pleading…
We rushed him to the vet, only a few minutes away, but it was too late. Roddy was gone. They worked on him feverishly in the emergency room but couldn’t get his heart going again. The vet said words like cardiomyopathy and rupture of the fibers surrounding the chordae tendineae, but it meant nothing. All that mattered was Roddy was gone. He was only 8 years old…far too soon.
We adopted Roddy when he was just 5 weeks old. Some monster had put him in a plastic bag and tossed him in a trash can. That experience left him absolutely terrified of bags for the rest of his life. He was so tiny we carried him around in our pockets. He was very sick with a URI and conjunctivitis, but we nursed him back to health. He grew into a curious, playful cat who loved to chatter with the birds outside the kitchen window, “talked to us” all the time, and would do anything for a goldfish cracker. He was our buddy, our baby. We aren’t able to have children, so Roddy and our older cat, Minky, were our family. Some people don’t understand how pets can become family, but for us they do.
Unlike Minky, Roddy was not a solitary fellow. He wanted and needed to be near his people all the time. He slept with us every night, waking us up with a chirrp in the morning to announce it was time for his breakfast. When I was working at my desk he laid across my feet. He was not a solitary cat; he needed and wanted to be near his people. I work at home so he and I were together all the time. When he wanted attention he would get up on his hind legs, lean against my chair and pat me repeatedly with his front paw. If that didn’t work he jumped on my desk and walked between me and my laptop.
He loved boxes-not a single box came into this house that wasn’t taken over by him. He loved naps in the sun, the fuzzy pink ball he’d has since he was a kitten and bug hunting. He ran races up and down the stars and around the house, always full of energy.
I have an anxiety disorder and Roddy always seemed to know when I was having a bad day. He’d stay close and occasional reach out and pat me with a paw. When I was sick, he was an excellent nurse.
Roddy wasn’t just a cat, he was my friend. I don’t understand why he was fine one minute and gone the next, and I don’t think I ever will. I will always remember the night before he died. He was snuggled in bed with my husband and I purring away and all was right with the world. I dreamt about him last night. He was in a field of green grass and it was a sunny day. He was running and playing. I hope that means he’s okay.
We spent awhile with him at the vet’s. We kissed him and stroked him and told him we loved him, then we said goodbye. We had him cremated and will bring him home soon.
It will never really be goodbye though. He’ll be in our now broken hearts and in our memories forever. Someday our hearts will heal and welcome a new cat, but not now.
Gentle journey baby, until we see each other again.
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Savor The Moment..
Savor…
The softness of a cat’s fur
The warmth of a ray of sunlight
The comfort of a cool breeze on a warm night
The love of your friends and family
The gift of being given a brand new day every morning you awaken
The joy of a hug
The gentle murmur of the rain
The words “I love you”
The music of a songbird
The simple pleasure of a good book
The gift of being able to chose what you’ll have for supper tonight.
The comfort of a warm bed.
The sound of laughter.
Your fully stocked fridge and pantry, your warm bed, and your clean clothes.
The talents God has given you.
Don’t take a single moment or blessing for granted!
SAVOR LIFE and all it’s gifts!
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