Linda and I just said our final goodbye to Zacky, our beloved boy of about 14 years. His body was shutting down and we didn’t want him to suffer any longer. We brought him home on Friday in the hope he might improve, but he didn’t, so we took him to the Vet this morning and they recommended saying goodbye.
I know it was the right thing to do, but I’m beside myself with grief. I’ve never known a cat quite as attached to humans as Zacky was, and I have had the good fortune of knowing quite a few of them in my life. He was especially bonded with Linda and frequently slept in her arms or under the blankets, in a little cave she would make for him.
I would have gladly put up with a few more bloody rats on the bedroom floor to have had a couple more years with him. We’ll be grieving for a while, but we’ll move on. Lots of good memories of this guy.
2020 most definitely sucks.
Systems Savvy 
September 1st, 2020 at 4:23 am
Rick – sorry to hear this, its the worst thing that any owner of a cat has to do, is to recognise that moment when you have to say goodbye and take them on that journey to the vet.
My wife who works for Cats Protection in the UK says that its what you have to do as a responsible owner and that they tend to let you know when they are ready. Sometimes if they know they disappear and go somewhere quiet to pass away. At least you were there in his last moments and were able to say goodbye
As a bloke, you have to keep a stiff upper lip, but afterwards, I was beside myself especially when we had to do that journey on Valentine’s day for a cat also of 14 – not the gift my wife had in mind.
I am getting a lump even writing this and it shows how cats wind themselves around your heart. It’s, even more, the case when you have had a rescue cat and you’ve given them a second chance. It’s those memories that will stay with you forever and to treasure
We’ve got three cats. One Rosie was abandoned on a Motorway, hit by a car and had to have a leg amputated. Shes bonded with my wife and cuddles up to her each and every day and has her cave.
The 2 males bond themselves to me and are really miserable when I’m not around.
The loss is always felt, but the memories are there forever to be treasured and talked about.
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September 1st, 2020 at 12:00 pm
Thank you for the kind words, Andrew. Zack almost died 13 years ago from what finally killed him. His illness changed him dramatically; he became far more loving and calmed down dramatically. It’s raw right now, and we’re going to miss him, but we’ve been anticipating this moment since that illness. It still happened a little too fast, but we’ll get by . . . eventually. Thank again. Much appreciated.
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August 31st, 2020 at 1:49 am
I am so sorry Rick. I am only now learning how close we can become to our cats and can imagine your sense of loss.
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September 1st, 2020 at 11:57 am
Thank you, Euan. I have noticed your transition with Alby, as he grew on you. Zack was a very special cat; I’ve had quite literally well over a dozen in my life, and he was the most attached to humans I’ve ever seen. He was especially close to Linda, who is having a hard time dealing with his loss. You always know it’s coming and, as they age, you have to anticipate it, but this was pretty sudden and now, the cat who sat at the breakfast table with her so he could lick the remaining egg yolk from her plate, and who climbed up on her chest and licked her face before cuddling and falling asleep in her arms, is no longer there . . . forever. Too many reminders around the house, and it’s all a bit raw right now. It’s also a reminder of one’s mortality which, as I get older, seems to sting a little bit more each time. Thanks again. I appreciate the kind words. We’ll get over it. As you know, just takes a little time.
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August 30th, 2020 at 4:18 pm
(((( h u g ))))
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September 1st, 2020 at 11:39 am
❤
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