The Domestic CAT: Feline at its finest!

[charliechaplinfan]

Dear April, our pets are like our children and anyone who says otherwise has never known the unconditional love of a pet that has shared a home. I have so many photos on my camera and because my last images of Claude are on there I haven't found the right frame of mind to look through them yet 6 weeks on, he had no collar and I came back from the vets empty handed, I want to have something of his and I don't have anything. I now have a lovely casket which is in the main room, he was never without company. I lost Livia when she was young to a car accident, it took me quite a while to get over that one, I felt somehow bereft and to blame but it eventually lifted. I feel so much for you right now but know you have good friends and animal lovers here who will try to comfort you.

[MissGoddess]

I can't thank you enough Alison, and everyone who's been so kind. It really helps! I don't have a family to distract me and only one of my close friends really understands about how much he means. Well, one and half. The little son of one of my best friends is heartbroken. His name is Nicolas and he always thought of Nikki as his "little brother".

It will get easier and in time I'll get another kitty to keep Felix company (I dread leaving alone when I go back to work this week...he hates being alone).

Boy, these critters really have a way of worming their way into your heart, bones and marrow!

Felix thinks Nikki is back:

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[rohanaka]

Keeping you in thoughts and prayers, April. And am hoping that each new day finds the sadness a little lighter, dear girl... and that one day you will be able to smile again at the memories of your time with him and for all that he meant to you. It is never easy to lose someone you love. Take good care, little missy. And know that you and Felix are cared for and thought of by so many. Sending HUGE hugs your way.

[MissGoddess]

Dear April, our pets are like our children and anyone who says otherwise has never known the unconditional love of a pet that has shared a home. I have so many photos on my camera and because my last images of Claude are on there I haven't found the right frame of mind to look through them yet 6 weeks on, he had no collar and I came back from the vets empty handed, I want to have something of his and I don't have anything. I now have a lovely casket which is in the main room, he was never without company. I lost Livia when she was young to a car accident, it took me quite a while to get over that one, I felt somehow bereft and to blame but it eventually lifted. I feel so much for you right now but know you have good friends and animal lovers here who will try to comfort you.

Alison,
I am so sorry you don't have any of Claude's things, but you do have Claude and that must be a comfort. I was too cowardly to accept Nikki's ashes when the clinic offered. I just fled. Strangely enough, the little jar I put his things in looks like an urn!

I am sorry, too, about LIvia. I lost quite a few kitties in my childhood to accidents, poisoning, fights, etc. We lived on a somewhat busy street and there were also known predators about like skunks and racoons. No matter how careful you are, they can get away from you and the damage done before you can catch them. It's heartbreaking.

[MissGoddess]

Keeping you in thoughts and prayers, April. And am hoping that each new day finds the sadness a little lighter, dear girl... and that one day you will be able to smile again at the memories of your time with him and for all that he meant to you. It is never easy to lose someone you love. Take good care, little missy. And know that you and Felix are cared for and thought of by so many. Sending HUGE hugs your way.

Thank you so much, Kathy. It's a little bit better today (so far!) and I expect once I get back to a routine it will help take my mind off of things. I do admit I dread coming home at the end of the day with no one meowing and darting out as Nikki always did. Sigh. One step at a time.

[charliechaplinfan]

We only have Claude because we had time to think about it, otherwise I think we'd have left him behind. We couldn't stay, we stayed when he was sedated then we went but the vet was fantastic. Having his casket is a comfort, he was never an outdoor cat, even though we have cat flaps, he didn't go out so it wasn't right to bury him.

When you go back to work can you leave some noise on for Felix? I've been looking into it for Lara when I go back to work, the radio or even Nikki playing constantly to him, it might be a comfort.

[MissGoddess]

When you go back to work can you leave some noise on for Felix? I've been looking into it for Lara when I go back to work, the radio or even Nikki playing constantly to him, it might be a comfort.

That has crossed my mind, too! It's a good idea. I thought about playing the videos of Felix and Nikki while I'm out. There are enough of them that it would take a few days to go through them all. He seemed to respond pretty strongly to seeing and hearing him.

[charliechaplinfan]

I have so many home videos of the animals it's untrue and to sort through them would take weeks. It's nice to have the recordings, Claude used to be so big he couldn't get through his cat flap, then he slimmeddown, looking back we couldn't believe how big he was, it was funny to see.

[CineMaven]

Miss G., if you're up to it, can you tell us how it is coming back home today from a full day of work?

[MissGoddess]

Miss G., if you're up to it, can you tell us how it is coming back home today from a full day of work?

It's not been easy so far:

At home for lunch today, I sat down to eat when I hear a knock at my door. "Who is it?" "Mailman!" I wasn't expecting anything and when he handed the little packet to me nothing registered. The return address said "AMC" and the first thing that popped in my head was "why is the cable network sending me something?"



Continuing to wonder about the address which was vaguely familiar (and mentally going down the list of people I knew living in Manhattan) I then opened the flap, and found wrapped in padding a small, clay disc.



I turned it over and finally realized "AMC" = Animal Medical Center. The clinic where I took Nikki on Saturday night. They had sent it to me.

[Rita Hayworth]

That's so cool Miss Goddess ... thanks for sharing it.

[charliechaplinfan]

How nice of them April. I bet it brought tears to your eyes but nice ones, that they had taken that moment to give you a keepsake.

The casket Claude came home in was so much nicer than I'd expected and they had put a plaque on it with his name on, the permenance of the casket and his name made me feel he was important even to people who dealt with this everyday. I probably don't make sense but I know how I felt.

[MissGoddess]

It was completely unexpected. Very moving.

[CineMaven]

Nikki.

Gee April.

[moira finnie]

I cried when I saw your post about this but it is so good to know that you and Nikki were being cared for by such thoughtful people, April. Thank you for letting us share in this gesture. Please know that I've been thinking of you for days since this happened. Take care.