She stopped eating on Friday, drinking too, though she still pestered me for food, but seemed totally uninterested, even in the tuna. By Friday evening, she seemed to have become more shaky and spent the evening curled up next to my pillow. She responded to being petted, but wasn't enjoying the attention, so I knew that it was, "time"...
I got up Saturday morning and wasn't surprised to see that she was huddled, head down, in the sunniest spot on the cat tree, soaking up the early morning sun. She came over when I took the dog out, but when I got back inside, she was back in the warm spot and not interested in food. I went back outside and dug a place for her in the garden. Then I came inside, got her to come to me and, after telling the others to say their good-byes, we left for the vets'.
The vet wasn't busy, unusual for Saturday morning, so we didn't have to wait long.
He examined her and agreed with me that she was in the final stage and any further waiting would probably cause her to suffer and I didn't want that for her.
As I held her and told her what a good and sweet kitty she was, that we would miss her but that she'd soon have her brother, Bubba, who died 5 years ago, to boss around again, he gave her the injection and she slipped away...
I brought her home and took her inside, but the others all knew and didn't come from their napping places to say any farewells... so I took her around back to the garden,
where her resting place was prepared...
I buried her with the first purple iris between her paws, thankful that she was no longer in any discomfort and at peace...
In the several days since, the others have become relaxed again. Her illness, since she was,"Queen of Everything", had created some real stress in the other kitties. Even the dog had been much more on edge... Now that she's at peace, things are much more,"normal",[whatever that is...], with Murphy Brown finally becoming the Diva that I always knew she was...
The creeper is showing signs of leafing-out. Trees all over are blooming, including my cherry tree in back, though the camellias in my yard are still not. All around, you see daffodils, tulips, camellias, quince... blooming in the face of the stiff March breezes.
This, however, was quite a surprise ! Just a few days after covering my tomato plants against a couple of frosty nights, I find this !
Now "blooming" is not, "setting", and we'll need warmer nights before any tomatoes actually set, but Spring has definitely Sprung !
