Losses (eating, blood, dogs, house)

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Springtime 2021, the outside crew (Pots, Curly, White Dot, Taurus, and Panther) and I were strolling down the driveway one morning. Why I don't recall. Just because it was a nice spring morning and we liked each others' company.

I looked at them and saw Panther and Curly walking along side by side, like best buds. I thought, how sweet is that?

The deal is, both had lost their most bestest buds of all time, their actual blood brothers and chief hangout pals, in 2020. TJ was caught in the open by a couple of marauding hunting dogs, I got there minutes too late and saw his body in the yard and two strange large dogs, one black one white, romping around. I called my wife then grabbed a baseball bat and some pepper spray and headed out the door to do battle to the death.

No need, these two took off as soon as I cracked the door. Too bad.

Curly and her best bud TJ were born here of the stray cat Pots, who one spring day in 2017 showed up and started napping in our back yard. We had two insiders, Molly and River.
Of course we started feeding Pots, who was With Child. Three kids, actually, born in August. The girl Curly whose tail curls; the one brother TJ (Taurus Junior, my wife named him), and Inky a black female kitty with a white bow tie and a couple of tufts of white here and there. Inky is an Insider now.

Panther and his brother BoP (Brother of Panther) lived across the street. The cat lady there had to move, those two guys had already started dropping by for meals and scrunches and cat lady asked us if we could care for them because she had a cat limit at her new place. Of course we would! They were both sweet very civilized boys. Best buds, brothers forever.

Then TJ was killed on February 4 2020. My wife died September 28. Late autumn I noticed BoP was skinny, I could feel his backbone. I took him to the vet, she said he had a massive infection and doubted he'd survive even if put in kitty ICU with IV etc. I regret to say I went along with her suggestion that we give him goodbye drugs. Regret regret regret. So BoP died December 2, 2020.

Dr. Pol says never give up, and so do I. I can only say I was not making the best decisions, my wife had just died (ER to ICU to hospice in 10 days) September 28 and her cretin daughter + extra creepy bf were creating chaos and legal issues including probate, and I was seriously stressed.

But the decision was made. By me. I've never been back to that vet.
I am so sorry, BoP. And TJ, I am so sorry I didn't get outside five minutes earlier. But I didn't.

So...seeing those two kitties who'd just recently lost their best buds was such a sweet sight to behold.
Curly and TJ spent ALL their time together. They had a little rock that caught the morning sun, they'd bunk down there together every morning. Bestest buds from birth. Maybe from before birth.

As time went on, Curly and Panther did not turn into besties. But recently, in the last few months, they've been the last two to come out of their Kitty House for breakfast. So I think they hang together a fair amount. They both had major loss. How cats process those losses is beyond my understanding.

I guess by now everyone has adjusted to their loss as much as we're going to. But still, it's such a sweet sight to see when Panther and Curly are hanging together. And as they say, life goes on.

The end.
Or maybe not.

[NYC refugee]

Thanks for sharing those feelings. I'm glad you had that happy stroll and the site of the two loss sufferers having a moment of solidarity and peace. You all deserve it.

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Originally Posted by NYC refugee

Thanks for sharing those feelings. I'm glad you had that happy stroll and the site of the two loss sufferers having a moment of solidarity and peace. You all deserve it.

Thank you. These are the sweetest cats.

[hiero2]

Nicely written. I find myself very glad you care for them, and they care for each other, and life goes on. Chapeau.

[James Bond 007]