Pet Days...

From a very young age I have always been brought up around Animal's, we have always had a Pet for as long as I can remember. This has given me many qualities and a confidence around animals, above all else I have always had a companion and friend.

We have had Cat's at home since the day I was brought home from hospital, and it was not long before I was on the move and could crawl after them. Before I knew any better I was always catching Charlie the cat by his long bushy tail. One day though, Charlie decided he had endured enough of my rough tactics. He set up camp by the sofa and waited for me to have a leisurely crawl past. Upon my passing, Charlie pounced and clawed my nappy to shreds, I guess that is the price you pay for pulling a pussy cat's tail...

I have always been told that it was a good job that the nappy was in prime place, as otherwise Charlie Cat could have done some real damage. Beside my early day's of pulling Charlie's tail, I have always loved and respected all animals. Pet's have a funny way of becoming a big part of any family, yes a big fuzzy part, but they are part of the family all the same.

Over the years we have had our fair share of Cat's come and go, it is always very sad to see them depart to the big litter box in sky, and even as you get older...That part never gets any easier.

He have endured more than One road collision involving our beloved feline friends, despite the extent of their injuries, Cat's have a knack of returning home. It is like they make it their final mission, and must must make it back against all the odds.

The vet has played a role in putting our Kitty Cat's to sleep too, when there is nothing else that can be done, with each departure there is always heartache and lots of tears.

With the sad departure of our Cat Ginger, my Parent's decided to take in a Feral Cat from a Farm in Yorkshire where we lived at the time. The Cat we adopted was not picked as such, as in all honesty she was the only one silly enough to be caught. After we thought long and hard about what to call our latest addition, we soon all agreed on 'Tabby', as after all...That is what she was.

Slowly but surely she lost her feral senses and slotted right into our family of Four. She was always a timid Cat but it was not long before she became my shadow, and followed me absolutely everywhere. Tabby used to sleep on my bed, infact she even slept in the duvet just like a person. Tabby would even follow me the short walk to School. We must have had Tabby for over 15 years in total, and in that time she really had got her furry paws right under the table, above all else though we had grown up together.

I can remember a time where I would tuck Tabby up in a doll's cot, and she was more than happy to oblige. She even slept in there for hours, once she was all tucked in nice and cosy. I do have to question the fact that she may have been stuck in there...But she seemed happy and contented none the less.

It has been said by other family members that Tabby thought I was another Cat, with the way that we used to play together. A typical evening back in the day would consist of a younger Laura of about 5 or 6 crawling around the living room, cruising in circles around the arm chair, while Tabby would be perched on the arm of the chair awaiting my next circulation. Picking the perfect time she would jump right onto my back in a playful attack. She would then paw my long hair as if it was a toy, and then the process would start all over again.

These are some truly wonderful memories of my childhood.

Of course as the years have gone on, Tabby grew older but never seemed to loose that sparkle she had always had.

On Boxing day in 2009, we lost our Tabby Cat for good. With all the festive Cheer that had been going on, we had neglected to realise that Tabby had not been seen since the day prior. It was only later that day when she re-appeared out of the harsh cold snow that was lay thick on the ground, we saw that the sparkle in her eyes, which she was renowned for was gone, and had been replaced with a relentless shiver. She was so cold. We knew we had to warm her up and wrapped her up all snug, just like I used to do in the old days. Tabby was then placed by the radiator in a attempt to warm up her frozen body. We left her to it, just to give her some peace that I am sure she was craving. Upon return though Tabby was missing, only to be found asleep in the shower... shivering...

 I insisted we called the vet and get her in at once, this was my Cat and we had grown up together, I could not bare to see her in such pain. I hated that she was not her playful self and I knew deep down that it was going to be bad news.

The vet checked her over and told us she would do her best. The concluded verdict was either she had fallen on the Ice from a substantial height...Or someone had kicked her in the tummy. Either thought was something I did not wish to bare. If I had known that this would be the last fuss I ever made of her, I would have done so for longer.

We left her in the vet's capable hands and just hoped for the best.

Tabby was put in a Oxygen tank as she was having trouble breathing, but passed away naturally over night. It was her time to fly away...In the end it probably was curiosity that killed the cat, Tabby was never the brightest bulb in the box but that was part of her charm. If she had fallen it would have been on one of her daily adventures, and despite her age...She was always going out on one of those.

It was boxing day that Tabby flew away to the big kitty box in the sky and we were visiting Luke's Mum,  when I got the phone call with the sad news. I could just not contain myself. The tears came until I did not think I could cry any longer. It really was as though one of the family had been taken away from us. I cried all night, completely numb...

We collected our beloved Tabby cat and brought her home. This was where she belonged. She looked so different and you could tell she wasn't there any longer. It broke my heart seeing her so empty. That sparkle that we all loved, had all but fizzled out now and her eyes were shut tight never to open again. We found a box for her to be placed in and I wrapped her up in a blanket one last time, it was freezing cold outside and I had to make sure she would be warm...Just like back in the day when we used to play with the doll's cot...

Somehow my Dad had managed to dig a hole in the frozen ground. This was where Tabby was going to sleep now... forever. The whole family was so sad at losing her, it was like we had each lost an arm.

Everyone was quiet, and now it was time to fill the hole back in again. This time though, Tabby was in there too...

Despite all the pain that comes from losing a pet, I think it is so important to have loved one rather than never experiencing it. They teach so many life lessons without even realising the impact that they have on you. This is why I want Leo to grow up with a pet, as despite the sadness that comes from losing one, for the entirety of your pet's life they enrich every part of you. Even the loss of a pet is a important lesson to learn, grief is something that comes to us all eventually.

So when the day comes that I can put a roof over Luke and Leo's heads, we will be bringing a puppy into our lives. Leo will be growing up with a little play mate and making childhood memories that will last him a lifetime. These memories for me are so special and writing this post has brought so many emotions flooding back.

I am sure we have all lost a special pet in the past, and this is something that everyone can relate to.

Laura

xx