Family Pets - Florida
The following is something I wrote almost 30 years ago. The photos, which I just scanned, brought up some fond memories and I found the heart-felt letter hidden away in an old computer folder. I wish to share it here after a few photos introducing the cats.
October 15, 1998
Today I buried my cat. She was a beautiful cat and I miss her already. It was over 14 years ago when I got her. She was a present from my friend Nancy. I still remember the day we went to the Humane Society in Melbourne to look at cats. I was getting my choice and we entered the cat room. There were lots of cats there but Marquis stood out. I called her Marquis because Nancy and I had recently got engaged and the diamond I was giving her was a Marquis cut. The cat glittered like a diamond with her beautiful long, white fur with streaks of silver and gray. But it was her eyes that glittered the most. Large, green eyes that looked at me, almost begging me to pick her. The decision was easy and I believe now that there was no other cat I could have chosen.
We took her home to our three other cats, Mimi, Deja, and Nixie, all belonging to Nancy. Marquis did not need to be boss, but she was unafraid to defend herself. You could tell that she had been a stray for a while by the way she ate her food. She would consume anything, as if she knew that this meal might be her last. Soon after we had gotten her, Nancy brought another kitten home. A fluffy, black cat that we named Boo. Since Marquis was new too, she became very motherly toward Boo. We spent three years together with the five cats, but Nancy and I divorced, and it was necessary to split up the family. In reality, only Marquis belonged to me, but Nancy knew that Boo and Marquis would be good friends so I kept both.
There was a time when we had a major flea problem. Marquis, being a light haired cat, seem to be having the biggest problem. That is when we found out that Marquis had no feeling in her tail. The vet said it appeared to have been broken near her behind, and the tail was alive. Since Marquis had no feeling, it became a haven for fleas to live. Nancy jokingly called it a “flea hotel”. We spent many hours giving her baths, picking off hundreds of fleas with tweezers. There was no way to completely rid her of them as long as we were letting the five cats outside. After the other three cats left with Nancy, Nancy gave me a strong flea spray. I spent a whole weekend, spraying the room, spraying outside the house, and cleaning all the carpets and rugs. I gave both cats a thorough bath. It worked, but from that point on I could not let Marquis or Boo outside, since that was the source of the fleas. Boo was very content to be a house cat, but Marquis had been a stray, and she loved the outdoors. I often regretted that I was depriving her this pleasure, but I knew the fleas were a worse menace. I hope she forgives me for keeping her inside for the last ten years.
It was in January of this year that I knew that Marquis was sick. She was sniffling a lot and was not eating well. Her fur was becoming matted. She had a cold the previous year but this seemed different. The vet told me that she was probably having kidney or liver problems, he showed me the jaundice under her eyes. I told him that I did not want to keep Marquis alive by stabbing her everyday with needles. He said that as long as she kept eating and drinking, she would be okay. I never did know how old she was. She was an adult when we got her in 1984, and the vet back then guessed her to be one to three. That would make her 15-17 years old, a good old age for a cat. I was hoping to find her dead in her sleep, but Marquis, like any pet, wanted to survive.
It was a month ago that I notice that she was having trouble drinking her water. She would keep her head close to the bowl, and stay there for long periods of time. Her neck was getting soaked and matted, and I tried to clip her long hair, no longer glittering like diamonds. I was afraid that she might fall asleep with her head in the bowl and drown herself.
It was week ago that I noticed she was having trouble walking. She had her favorite chair that she would jump on for me to sit there and pet her. She could no longer jump that high. She tried and only her front legs were able to grab on and she slipped onto her back onto the floor. I knew that the end was near. She almost seemed embarrass by her inability to jump, but I helped her up and gave her another rub under her ears.
It was yesterday that I noticed that her eyes were getting all glossed over. I had told myself that if she did not follow me to the kitchen as I opened the can of cat food for breakfast, I would take her to the vet. She did not follow me, and as I was opening the can, I decided the end was here. But as I was leaving the kitchen, she had made it to the doorway and was lying there. I brought the food back to the cat’s room, but she did not follow. I had to carry her back to eat, and she only took a few bites. She could no longer support herself on her feet. They would slide away as she ate. Again, she seemed embarrass by her lack of doing something so simple as eating. I called the vet, but they were close on Wednesday. I decided to call in to work and say I was staying home with my sick cat. I held her a lot, petted her behind the ears to make her purr, and I just sat there with her and Boo. At lunch, I was having cheese, so I brought her a piece, a favorite treat. She ate some but she seemed to be giving up on life. At about five, I brought dinner. Boo was afraid to come down to the regular eating place, sensing something was wrong. Marquis did not even try to get up to eat.
It was this morning that I noticed that Marquis had not moved from the spot she was in since dinner yesterday. She had not eaten, or drank any water, or used the litter box. Her heart was beating, her lungs were breathing, but she had settled on dying. Her eyes were open when I brought Boo breakfast. I picked her up and held her to my chest, and I told her it was time. I called the vet and made an appointment. When I got there, he said it was time this old lady went to sleep. I said that I agree. He gave her a shot and that was it. She was dead. Her eyes were still open but her pain was gone. I took her home with me. I put her in a box, I placed a flower near her head, and I put in a coin. I figured, someday someone may find that coin and wonder why it was there in a garden. I will know it was the last thing to touch her body.
It was an hour ago that I went and fed Boo. She keeps looking for Marquis, but I do not know how to let her know that she is gone. I do not know how to tell myself. It has been a terrible day in my life, but it is a day I will never forget for the rest of my life.
 |
| Mimi |
 |
| Deja |
 |
| Nixie |
 |
| Marquis |
 |
| Boo |
October 15, 1998
Today I buried my cat. She was a beautiful cat and I miss her already. It was over 14 years ago when I got her. She was a present from my friend Nancy. I still remember the day we went to the Humane Society in Melbourne to look at cats. I was getting my choice and we entered the cat room. There were lots of cats there but Marquis stood out. I called her Marquis because Nancy and I had recently got engaged and the diamond I was giving her was a Marquis cut. The cat glittered like a diamond with her beautiful long, white fur with streaks of silver and gray. But it was her eyes that glittered the most. Large, green eyes that looked at me, almost begging me to pick her. The decision was easy and I believe now that there was no other cat I could have chosen.
We took her home to our three other cats, Mimi, Deja, and Nixie, all belonging to Nancy. Marquis did not need to be boss, but she was unafraid to defend herself. You could tell that she had been a stray for a while by the way she ate her food. She would consume anything, as if she knew that this meal might be her last. Soon after we had gotten her, Nancy brought another kitten home. A fluffy, black cat that we named Boo. Since Marquis was new too, she became very motherly toward Boo. We spent three years together with the five cats, but Nancy and I divorced, and it was necessary to split up the family. In reality, only Marquis belonged to me, but Nancy knew that Boo and Marquis would be good friends so I kept both.
There was a time when we had a major flea problem. Marquis, being a light haired cat, seem to be having the biggest problem. That is when we found out that Marquis had no feeling in her tail. The vet said it appeared to have been broken near her behind, and the tail was alive. Since Marquis had no feeling, it became a haven for fleas to live. Nancy jokingly called it a “flea hotel”. We spent many hours giving her baths, picking off hundreds of fleas with tweezers. There was no way to completely rid her of them as long as we were letting the five cats outside. After the other three cats left with Nancy, Nancy gave me a strong flea spray. I spent a whole weekend, spraying the room, spraying outside the house, and cleaning all the carpets and rugs. I gave both cats a thorough bath. It worked, but from that point on I could not let Marquis or Boo outside, since that was the source of the fleas. Boo was very content to be a house cat, but Marquis had been a stray, and she loved the outdoors. I often regretted that I was depriving her this pleasure, but I knew the fleas were a worse menace. I hope she forgives me for keeping her inside for the last ten years.
It was in January of this year that I knew that Marquis was sick. She was sniffling a lot and was not eating well. Her fur was becoming matted. She had a cold the previous year but this seemed different. The vet told me that she was probably having kidney or liver problems, he showed me the jaundice under her eyes. I told him that I did not want to keep Marquis alive by stabbing her everyday with needles. He said that as long as she kept eating and drinking, she would be okay. I never did know how old she was. She was an adult when we got her in 1984, and the vet back then guessed her to be one to three. That would make her 15-17 years old, a good old age for a cat. I was hoping to find her dead in her sleep, but Marquis, like any pet, wanted to survive.
It was a month ago that I notice that she was having trouble drinking her water. She would keep her head close to the bowl, and stay there for long periods of time. Her neck was getting soaked and matted, and I tried to clip her long hair, no longer glittering like diamonds. I was afraid that she might fall asleep with her head in the bowl and drown herself.
It was week ago that I noticed she was having trouble walking. She had her favorite chair that she would jump on for me to sit there and pet her. She could no longer jump that high. She tried and only her front legs were able to grab on and she slipped onto her back onto the floor. I knew that the end was near. She almost seemed embarrass by her inability to jump, but I helped her up and gave her another rub under her ears.
It was yesterday that I noticed that her eyes were getting all glossed over. I had told myself that if she did not follow me to the kitchen as I opened the can of cat food for breakfast, I would take her to the vet. She did not follow me, and as I was opening the can, I decided the end was here. But as I was leaving the kitchen, she had made it to the doorway and was lying there. I brought the food back to the cat’s room, but she did not follow. I had to carry her back to eat, and she only took a few bites. She could no longer support herself on her feet. They would slide away as she ate. Again, she seemed embarrass by her lack of doing something so simple as eating. I called the vet, but they were close on Wednesday. I decided to call in to work and say I was staying home with my sick cat. I held her a lot, petted her behind the ears to make her purr, and I just sat there with her and Boo. At lunch, I was having cheese, so I brought her a piece, a favorite treat. She ate some but she seemed to be giving up on life. At about five, I brought dinner. Boo was afraid to come down to the regular eating place, sensing something was wrong. Marquis did not even try to get up to eat.
It was this morning that I noticed that Marquis had not moved from the spot she was in since dinner yesterday. She had not eaten, or drank any water, or used the litter box. Her heart was beating, her lungs were breathing, but she had settled on dying. Her eyes were open when I brought Boo breakfast. I picked her up and held her to my chest, and I told her it was time. I called the vet and made an appointment. When I got there, he said it was time this old lady went to sleep. I said that I agree. He gave her a shot and that was it. She was dead. Her eyes were still open but her pain was gone. I took her home with me. I put her in a box, I placed a flower near her head, and I put in a coin. I figured, someday someone may find that coin and wonder why it was there in a garden. I will know it was the last thing to touch her body.
It was an hour ago that I went and fed Boo. She keeps looking for Marquis, but I do not know how to let her know that she is gone. I do not know how to tell myself. It has been a terrible day in my life, but it is a day I will never forget for the rest of my life.
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