Talula

I have a list of fun posts just waiting and I really wanted my first post back to be one of those fun posts, but sometimes life is not fun.  Today Matthias had to take our kitty to the vet to be put to sleep.  Typing those words, it does not seem real.  Being so far away doesn't help with that.  It doesn't help, period.  Being apart is hard.  Losing a pet is hard.  Being apart and losing a pet is really hard.

Talula just turned 14.  The two cats my family had growing up lived to be 19 and 20, so 14 doesn't seem very old to me, but would any age be old enough?

As a kitten, she was crazy.  She'd climb up anything, no matter how high.




She used to like to run along the back of the couch and grab people's heads with her front paws as she ran past. And she'd go crazy over a little plastic frog.  We had to hide it in the refrigerator because she'd find it wherever else we put it.

I had a rooftop garden just outside the door of my bedroom at my apartment when she was little.




She liked to sit out there among the plants, but she was also adventurous and liked to jump over to the porch roof at the back of the house.  I had to keep a board handy as a bridge so she could get back. Once she jumped off the roof completely.  She wasn't hurt, but I'm not sure who was more scared, her or me.

I lost count of how many things she broke over the years.  Candle holders and vases.  Glasses.  She used to like to drink water from a puddle and she would regularly spill water out of her bowl or out of glasses sitting on the table.  Once she knocked over the fish bowl (which she also liked to drink out of) and broke that (the fish survived). 

She mellowed out quite a bit as she got older.  She was always a sweet cat.  Affectionate, but not in your face like our other cat.




At the end of last summer her sight started going.  When I went back to Cleveland in March it was heartbreaking to realize that she was totally blind.  She was able to navigate the house, but she regularly bumped into things.





The day after I left Cleveland in the beginning of May, her health began to visibly deteriorate.  Medication helped a bit, but she was not herself.  The vet predicted that her kidneys would continue to worsen.  I wish I could have been there today.  To be with Matthias.  To say I'm sorry.  To say goodbye.  To thank her for sharing her life with me.

Comments

  1. I feel so sad for you, Anne. We had to put our 15 year old cat to sleep last year, and I know how hard it is.
    It sounds like Talula was a real sweetie.
    Hope you can find solace in the fact that she at peace.
    Sending you big hugs!

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  2. So, so sorry to read of Talula's departure from this world. May you be comforted by strong and loving memories of your time with her. xo

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  3. Oh Anne, I'm so sorry! I know how hard it is to lose a beloved cat. Your pictures of her are adorable!

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  4. Anne, I'm so sorry. I know how hard this is for you. I lost my sweet cat Willow two years ago and I still miss him. He was a furry little son to me. Sending love and light and hugs your way. xo

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  5. So sad. I am thinking of you Anne. x

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  6. Hugs...so sorry to hear about Talula

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  7. So sorry to hear about Talula. Your post is a lovely tribute to how much she loved and was loved. My heart goes out to you sweetpea. Sending you a huge hug.
    Kat Xx

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  8. A big hug to you Anne! I know how hard it is to lose someone you love especially a pet you love so dearly... Stay strong!

    Elisa
    http://harmonythoughts.com/

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  9. Oh Anne, I'm so sorry for your loss. it's really heartbreaking to say goodbye to a feline family member. They leave big cat shaped wholes in our lives and hearts.

    She looks like a lovely true cat character.

    xx ines

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