You can say "Aw, Dawn, they were just cats." But Biscuit and Spiral, were family to me, even though they were just cats. Spiral and his brother Biscuit were my feline companions for the past sixteen or more years. Through thick and thin with my Mom as she suffered numerous nervous breakdowns and hospitalizations and finally when she was committed to a nursing home.
Biscuit and Spiral kept me company while I dealt with living alone. Truly on my own after living with and caring for my sick Mom for forty five years. I suffered post tramatic stress syndrome and had my own nervous breakdown. They were there to keep me company, provide laughs and memorable moments of joy. My shrink and therapists encourage people in my condition to have a pet. To have someone to care for so one doesn't wallow in self pity and deoression.They were overjoyed that I had two cats, and for so long. According to them, most cats were not that long lived.
Yes, Biscuit and Spiral were both blessed and blessed me with their presence until Mom passed away on August 4, 2010. Biscuit was very close to Mom was tremendously affected by her death. Even though my Mom died miles away, Biscuit who was living with me in was traumatized by her death. They say cats are psychic. I say God blessed them with super sensitivity to their human companions.
From that day forward Biscuit gave up on life. He acted normally but he started refusing food. To me he looked like he was bring super picky. It seemed like he hated everything I bought for him to eat. I'd put the food into the dish, he would take a mouthful or two then dash off. Spiral would come in and clean up. I comforted myself that he was eating later when I was asleep or at work because the dish was empty later when I checked.
However that was not the case. Biscuit was clearly not eating and by October 2012 he had nearly become a bag of bones. Amazingly he was still a happy cat, running around, playing, butting me with his head, but I knew he was on his last paws. Had I the money to whisk him to the vet, they would've put him down.
The day before Hurricane Sandy rolled in (and I as a "Zone A" resident was forced to evacuate) Biscuit died from a stroke like attack. This left Spiral on his own for the first time in sixteen years. The result was he attached himself to me like a leech. He'd started jumping into bed and sleeping on me. Yes, he literally slept on me! He would stretch out on me like a babe and we would both visit the Land of Nod together. I honestly don't believe he slept a wink whike I was not home.
In comparison to Biscuit, Spiral was a quiet cat. He prefered to let Biscuit do all of the talking or meowing. However, with he extroverted friend gone Spiral became much more vocal. Crying at the door while I waited at the elevator to go to work, church, run, etc. While at home he would meow, grunt, mutter, whir at me. The funny thing is, I understood what he was saying. I had officially become a Cat Whisperer.
However, I failed to notice the warning signs that Spiral like Biscuit was also refusing to eat. He was being ultra picky and not happy with anything I fed him. He did however developed a habit of begging from me as I ate my food, and I found out his two favorites were yogart and spaghetti. Yes, Spiral ate spaghetti! And the yogart? He simply stuck his head into the yogart cup and lapped up the dregs.
Spirals last day came quite suddenly. He was hanging out with me on my bed and started gagging. I hurriedly put him on the floor and he coughed up a giant clot of blood. Both Spiral and I looked at each other and we automactically knew like Biscuit, he was a goner. I spent the next 48 hours close to Spiral making him as comfortable as possible.
At 0430 am on 3/21/2013 I broke down and cried my eyes and heart out. Spirials voice rose as he howled along with me. Who says cats are insensitive beasts? This was proof positive to me that they are not.
Approximately two hours later, four months after Biscuits death, Spiral was gone. I will sorely miss both. Thank you Lord, for blessing me with their presence for all of those years.
As Ecclesiastes 3 says: "To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the sun. A time to be born and a time to die....."
Dawn Skyy
No comments:
Post a Comment