Thursday, March 12, 2009

You will be missed

Yesterday I had to make the worse decision in my life. I had to call the vet and find out if I could have my almost 16 year old orange tabby cat Sidney put to sleep. She has been sick for the past 6 to 8 months but yesterday when I looked at her I could tell she needed to go. It was hard to make the call, and I cried on the phone with the receptionist. Bryan took her in for me and I stayed home with the kids and my friend Alyson's son, who were all GREAT distractions during this very sad time for me.



Bug came up to me and asked me why I was crying, and I told him that I missed Sidney. His sweet reply was, "I will go bring her home for you Mommy." He can be just so sweet and caring.





Picture taken in late January 2009

I did get the opportunity to say good bye to her. I pet her and talked to her before she left to go to the vet. I told her how I appreciated all that she had brought to my life. Good and Bad. It was all worth experiencing.

Some of the things I want to remember about Sidney:

1. She was my sister's cat, but my sister got her before finishing up beauty college so I got to be her Mommy the first two months she lived with me. Carona was my cat at the time. Carona could not hear and when Sidney first met her she hist and hist at Carona as she came closer and closer to her. Sidney was so tiny, and Carona was a BIG girl even at a year old. I kept Sidney in the bathroom while I was at work and let her out when I was home to make sure that Carona didn't upset her to much. I remember coming home one day to find the bathroom door open and no Sidney. I soon found her in the guest room laying on the bed in the sun with Carona, actually suckling off her. Carona had already been spayed, so she had no milk but Sidney needed to suckle. They were the best of friends from that moment on.

2. I found them both on top of one of my very big book shelves one day keeping warm near the heater vent in the ceiling.

3. She would run and run around my bedroom at night, and jump on my head all the time. I ended up sleeping on the couch for the first year she lived with me.

4. She was so shy...didn't like strangers.

5. Sat on Bryan's shoulder's all the time when we first got married.

6. She could open doors. We had to switch door nobs in the first house we bought. At night we would keep the cats (Carona and Sidney) in a room so that they would not destroy the house or meow at our bedroom door. We always gave them treats to make it ok for them. Sidney quickly learned she could jump on the handle of the door nob and open the door. We ended up locking the door to prevent her from getting out at night.

7. When Carona passed away almost 4 years ago she became good buddies with Pepe' even though she didn't want any thing to do with him when we first brought him home.

8. She loved to bite the wire brush I have to brush the cats.

9. She never got her lower fangs. Never came in!

10. She loved to cuddle up on the couch with me all the time even the night before I had to put her to sleep.

7 jittering comments:

Grammy said...

HUGS....
Mom

Stephani said...

Sorry for your loss of your sweet friend. I love cats, and have had a few in my life that I still miss even 15 years later.
It takes a lot of love to be able to see when they need to go more than they need to stay... She sounds like a fun cat to have had around. She could seriously open doors by jumping on the door knob? That's crazy.
I had a cat that would wake me up in the middle of the night when she wanted out of my room by touching her nose over and over to my touch lamp--the kind that turn on by touch and get brighter with each touch. Used to drive me nuts :) but I loved that cat.
I'm glad Sidney is in a more comfortable place. Hope you feel comfort and peace too.

MaryRuth said...

I'm so sorry! I know how much your cats mean to you and your family!

Renee' P said...

I"m so sorry for your loss, my friend.
My heart goes out to you.

Andrea said...

So sad for you.
You have some great memories. Hilarious they could open the door.

Amanda said...

I am so sorry! What a hard thing to do. Yea for Bryan for taking her in, that's a good man-job.

Little April said...

I am so sorry, I know how hard it is to make that decision :(

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