Obit: Our Cat

Subject: Obit: Our Cat
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 May 26 - 05:34 AM

A very sad day for us yesterday. Our Molly was put to sleep following a short illness. She had only not been eating for a couple of days when we spotted something wrong with her mouth. We took her to the vet who diagnosed a cancer or serious bone infection. Rather than let her suffer and be in distress we took the hard decision to end her very full life then. In the last 10 days she had seen all her favourite people and had been very happy to be pampered by all so she did end on a high note

She was 20 years old and we had her from a tiny kitten so it will leave a big hole in our lives. Until about 7 years ago we had another cat, Lily, who used to keep Molly in her place but when Lily died, Molly blossomed into the Diva Princess that she stayed as for the rest of her life! She ruled the house and insisted on instant attention. As we don't have a cat flap that often entailed letting her out of the back door at silly o'clock in the morning. Her bed was wherever she decided and often involved other people :-) She had suffered from arthritis for the last 5 years and had monthly injections at the vets, where ahe also won a lot of hearts. She could no longer jump on the furniture but she always let us know when she wanted to be lifted on the sofa or bed. She was a calico and, as owners of calico and tortoiseshell cats will attest, very noisy. She also had an odd habit of shouting to us whenever she went to bed - which was most often in her 'Molly Cave' under a chair in the spare bedroom. We reckon she was telling us what a good girl she was going to bed all by herself :-) After we came back from the vets without her I was musing in the back garden when an almighty thuderclap sounded. I mentioned it to one of our daughters later who pointed it that it was probably Molly letting us know that she had gone upstairs :-D

Princess Molly the Mollificent is now getting her own back on the starlings that used to laugh at her in the back garden when she could no longer hunt. Go for it Molly :-)

Subject: RE: Obit: Our Cat
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 14 May 26 - 06:41 AM

Sincere condolences, Dave. Having lost several cats over the years, and my Border Terrier, Baxter, a couple of years ago, I’m very aware of the pain of losing a pet. They are sentient beings, they are friends, and they are family. It’s never easy, and the grief is very real indeed.

Best wishes to you and yours, and remember that the old adage is very true - time is a great healer. Although they occupy a small space in your heart always.

Subject: RE: Obit: Our Cat
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 14 May 26 - 09:39 AM

Sorry for your loss, Dave, it sounds like she was a lucky cat.I had a sweet little calico long ago who was special and knew it.

Subject: RE: Obit: Our Cat
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 14 May 26 - 09:51 AM

I have good few photos of Molly. Just like our tortie, Polly, she was a real sweetie. Commiserations to you and yours, Dave.

Subject: RE: Obit: Our Cat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 May 26 - 11:08 AM

Dave, you did the kindest and most loving but hardest (on your tender heart) thing for her, and I'm glad she seems to have only been off her peak for a few days. It sounds like those last ten days of visits were magnificent for her. I saw your note on FB and the photos of her; she was very similar to a calico I had years ago who was similarly a charmer, and with that coloring had the ability to shed cat hair that would show up on any garment you chose to wear.

Subject: RE: Obit: Our Cat
From: Donuel
Date: 14 May 26 - 11:37 AM

20 YEARS OLD OMG. I hope you are loved and cared for as much when you are 100.

Subject: RE: Obit: Our Cat
From: Charmion
Date: 14 May 26 - 04:26 PM

So sorry for your loss, Dave. I don’t want to think of the day I find myself in a cat-less house.

Subject: RE: Obit: Our Cat
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 May 26 - 09:51 AM

Thank you all. I do really appreciate the good wishes and support of a community like this. It is when things like this happen that you realise that most people are good and kind. We have far more in common than we have differences :-)

Subject: RE: Obit: Our Cat
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 May 26 - 10:48 AM

I am sorry to hear about your cat

Subject: RE: Obit: Our Cat
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 15 May 26 - 01:09 PM

Sympathies also from me, and doubtless from Herself.

A cat, we find, seems to complete a home. We recently lost Ptolemy, and decided (since Samwise had also died early from a similar nasty) that our house is cursed for cats, so we won't have any more; but whenever we're in a Zoom singaround where a cat is present, Herself loudly misses Ptol.

Subject: RE: Obit: Our Cat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 May 26 - 02:05 PM

MaJoC, clearly you have to move to a new house so you can have cats again! I had cats continually for about 40 years, but then a stray dog came along and I never had a good mix between. The dogs lived in the yard and garage until the last of the cats died of old age, when a dog door was put into the house. (We live at the edge of a smallish urban forest with lots of coyotes and foxes and other predators of small pets, so on general principles I wouldn't get any more cats while living here.)

Twenty years is quite a long run for a cat, I've never had them live more than about 14-15 years. Perhaps it is the diet, commercial pet food? Dave, did you feed Molly anything special to have her for so long?