h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've watched my dear, elderly, ginger cat, Rufus, fade away over the last week or so. At seventeen and a half years old he wasn't going to be here for much longer and he was already deaf and quite slow.
Yesterday I watched him climb the stairs. It took him a very long time, with lots of stops, but he made it.
He spent his last morning sleeping outside in the winter sunshine. When I got home from work he slowly made his way over to greet me and managed a miaow for the first time in a few days.
At the vets I held his head in my hand and Moonlight stroked him gently as he took his last breath.
Goobye my constant companion, never far from my side. Goodbye the giver of unconditional love. I miss you terribly.
Goodbye old friend.

Oh coely, I'm so sorry.




I feel your pain.
I've loved and lost 3 but not as long as you had yours.



~GB~

*offers shoulder for a*

Thank you GB.
Lots of tears here, especially this morning when I drank my tea alone. More than 17 years of having the same ritual. Putting the kettle on whilst trying not to trip over him, then feeding him while it boiled. Drinking my tea and watching him wash.

He really was my very own cat, since he was extremely wary of other people all his life. As a kitten he was mistreated and finally left for dead on a school field. Some of my pupils brought this tiny ginger scrap into my classroom and he stayed with me for a week. I took him to school everyday and home again in the evening, since he couldn't be left alone. He had worms, and ear mites and had been kicked a lot. He was very scared of men's voices, and even big shoes or motorcycle boots, walking a very long way around a room to avoid them.

My original intention wasn't to keep him, since we had a cat already. He went to live with someone recovering from a heart attack as we thought they could both benefit. That's how he came by the name Rufus, which was an old nickname for red headed people (such as the King, William Rufus who was killed in the New Forest).

However, he couldn't settle down to living with a man, and hid behind a sofa for most of the time, so I was asked to look after him again, and thats when he became my constant companion. He was never far from my side when indoors from that day. He would sleep on my pillow, sit on my lap and take all the cuddles and carrying about. His favoutite place to be was wrapped round my neck, which was fine when he was little, but not so comfortable when he was a big cat! With a lot of effort he managed it a couple of days ago though.

When I wasn't in the house he was outside, so he wasn't a fat pampered indoor cat. In his youth he was a very good mouser! But if he got into a fight I would always have to rescue him as he might have looked fearsome, but was a big softie.

He's spent the last year of his life in the country, doing things like sitting on a river bank, watching ducks and sunning himself.

Much loved and much missed.

Sounds to me like he was a very lucky to have such a life...even after a horrible start.
I know how much you will miss him and I don't have the words, to comfort you.
You won't ever forget him, how could you?
He was a part of your life, a part of you.
How we treat our pets says a lot about us.

It's been 3 years now, since my last went.
I'm seriously considering getting another.
I'm ready now.

*s Coely*
i've never had a cat as long as that (ok, i haven't been alive as long as your cat had!) but i do understand how you feel. it must be awful, but you have lots of lovely memories, they can never leave you. it's like losing any friend, it hurts, but you have to let them go. It sounds like you gave him a wonderful life, you should be happy about that.


^. .^
= ' =

Thank you everyone.
Moonlight and I took a trip to the Rufus Stone in the New Forest where the red headed King, William Rufus, was killed. It was a lovely sunny day and we then talked about some of our happy memories of our own Rufus. We have lots of reminders around the house of course, such as his favourite sleeping places being empty. I looked at the grooming brush this evening. He couldn't wash himself last week, and I was brushing him every day to keep his coat soft.

I'm not getting another cat, even though some people have suggested to me that this would be a good idea.

~Greebo walks in and siddles over to sit beside Coely~

Hello my friend... me so sorry to hear of your loss... me understands completely how you feel... me thinks most of us with you at this time does... ~Greebo huggles Coely~

Thank you Greebo. *hug*
You don't mind if I just scratch all around behind your ears and then rub under your chin do you? I miss being able to do that.

Me couldn't honestly think of anything me would like better... ~Greebo rubs her head on Coely's hand~

I'm sorry....that sight brought tears to my eyes.

Greebo you are so wonderful.



Coely, wait till you have healed before you even think of getting another cat. I am still not ready because I wept when I read that you lost Rufus. Go borrow a friends cat to stroke, or huggle Greebo. I go to my daughters when I need to stroke a cat.
It helps, but I can also walk away and not get too attached.



I love you both.

Coely. I know how you feel, my mum's 16 year old Lhasa Apso was in the same situation as Rufus. Poor Kizzy, she could hardly even walk towards the end, although she was in no pain. She went about 3 weeks ago, and I regret not being able to say goodbye to her. Luckily my younger brother was with my mum at the vets, and he rang and told me. If I had known it was imminent I would have gone to say goodbye before she went. I couldn't have gone with mum, as we would have upset each other more.
She lost 2 dogs that month, the other was a 13 year old she'd had for 3 years, and earlier in the year a 14 year old that she'd kept from a litter she had bred. A bad year. Luckily she'd seen most of this coming, and she still has a 13 year old grumpy Jack Russell, and a young 2 year old.

She went out a couple of weeks ago and bought another tiny puppy. My mum is so afraid of growing old without love, she needs someone to give her love to. Her and dad don't seem to be able to show each other love. She surrounded herself with children, other peoples as well as her own, as long as she could.

But anyway, here's hoping that the pain passes soon for you Coely, and you are left with the love and happy memories that Rufus brought you.

< hug>
Wipes tears and sends her warmest comforting thoughts.

Over the years I've loved and lost lots of cats..my old girl Tabitca was poisoned earlier this year. Give it time and then get another I really feel for you. After having cats for 30 years I still cry when I lose one. They are special, each a little character in it's own way. The new cat will never replace the old one..you never forget ..but it will help heal the wounds. I adopted another cat who had been left in a shed earlier this year. His toilet habits left something to be desired at first but he's fine now and he's so grateful to have a warm home.
I can't imagine my life without cats, but I can understand your pain, Be kind to your self.

I hope you are alright coely.
I still miss my {all of them} but I daren't get another yet.
Andrew is not the kindest towards animals and I daren't take the risk.
It'll be the first thing I do when he leaves, get a
{After changing the locks}

My heart goes out to you, Coely. I hope your Christmas is Merry in her honour. I will say a prayer for her today. Blessed are the cats, for they shall sit forever on God's lap.



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I'm sorry...I mean HE.



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Thank you for your kind thoughts, alicat. We've been less for just over a year and every so often we consider getting another one, but I don't think we will. Not intentionally anyway. My last two cats found me, rather than the other way round.

A year???





My missing a 's company is like a painful ache now.

The last twice Andrew's stayed at Laura's she's reported that he was ok with the cats.



Merry Christmas

Hi Coely. I see you are on line right now. I'm just on the way out the door, for our 8th walk today. Dogs must have insulation in their feet. We got a few inches of snow since Xmas eve. My brother made it down OK. He has a new glass eye, but he's still a little swollen in the face. I'm just so glad he's alive.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday.



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