Good Bye Old Friend

On August 20th 2012 we had to make the decision to put our beloved cat down.

She was 17 and came with my hubby when we got together.

She took to me immediately and he always said, she's your cat she just wants me for my heat.

I have tons of pics of she and I together- I thought she was the coolest animal ever- I never had pets growing up so it was all new for me. 

Anytime one of us way sick she took care of us-she'd always lay with us, her way to help I suppose. 

So that was a Monday. We wanted to make sure Q got to see her one last time and ended up not going to the vet until that Saturday, the 25th. We will never wait that long again, for the record. 

Longest week ever. So we gave her pretty much everything she likes. Food, Milk, junk, treats, whatever.

I put the harness on her and took her outside (pics below) She always enjoyed fresh air.

She walked me from the porch, to the back yard down one side of the house and up the fence on the other side. She eventually got tired so I picked her up and we sat on the porch. She licked the water condensation from my bottle and rolled in the sun. 

Friday night we went to buy a new mattress quick, and we are laying on the mattresses and hubby said for me to pick. I told him I am done with life changing decisions for a while (little did I know what the following weekend had in store). We got the mattress home and set up. Afterward I went looking for Grace and she was curled up on the new mattress. Keep in mind she hasn't slept on the bed in forever. (A few weeks prior she slept with Q and that was very unusual too)

So I laid with her until hubby said it was time for bed. Spaz came to lay with us too. 

Saturday we took her to Cloverleaf Animal Hospital, in Independence by recommendation of a friend of ours. They let us sit in the car with her while we waited. This way she didn't have to sit in a cage the last minutes of her life. They came out to get her at 1120, hubby took her in and I sat in the car. She had her favorite toy ever and the blanket she always laid on. 

What happened was-she was old. That's really it. She stopped eating as much, we were giving her a mix of wet cat food and eggs since she was having trouble chewing the crunchy food in June. Toward the end she stopped being able to use the bathroom- she would go up and down the steps constantly trying-and when she did go there was blood. The vet said all her systems were shutting down and that we were making the right decision. 

So far Mini and Chet could care less that she is gone. But her Baby-Spaz is still having a hard time some days. We are still pretty sad too. . He has just now been acting not as sad- we found a toy for him that he really enjoys. But he doesn't let me out of his sight. I don't know if it is out of fear his human mom is going to go away or what. 

 "Where's my Mommy?"

 "Why is my Mommy outside??"

 Worn out from our outdoor excursion.

 Our last night together-with her blankie and favorite toy ever.

 Gracie and her baby

I made a collage at walgreens.com of her last week

We received this card from our friend Dina

and this one from the Animal Hospital with a wallet card

The card says: 

The Rainbow Bridge

inspired by a Norse legend

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 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.

Here is another version too:

THE RAINBOW BRIDGE POEM

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...