“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost

Friday, January 24, 2014

All Cats Go to Heaven


I want to thank all of you that left such kind words of sympathy and comfort for me.  It has been a rough couple of weeks for the kitties and me.  Guy has especially been missing Ginny and I have given him more attention and cuddles than usual.  He seems to be his fun-loving self today.  I am taking my cue from him and am trying to move on and get into a new routine without our darling Ginny.

Next week sometime I will get back to regular blogging about cute stuff, but I wanted to share one more post about my thoughts on this event.  Some of you may think me crazy, but I dearly love my kitties and would do almost anything for them. 

Ginny had been in advancing hospice care in our household for some time, in the past two weeks her condition worsened and her care needs accelerated to the point where she needed almost constant attention.  We knew her passing was near and spent time with her in our basement, placing her in her favorite chair. She spent most of the time sleeping, but some just resting,  occasionally she would seem to have some distress, trouble breathing or some pain and I wanted to be there to comfort her.  So for her last few days, I spent most of the time with her. 

Part of the time I spent reading to her, it seemed to calm her to hear my voice and it calmed me to be taken to another place for a few minutes to escape some of my grief.  The excerpt below is from a vintage book I own called All Cats Go to Heaven, written by Beth Brown and illustrated by Peggy Bacon. It was published in 1960 and is an anthology of stories about cats complied by Beth Brown. This is one of the books I read stories from.  After reading this story I love imagining my little Ginny flying off to a new world to meet up with her best friend Cocoa.  I hope you enjoy the photo and the passage from the book further below.

Thank you again dear friends. ~~ Diane











"It happened so suddenly.

One moment ago, she was there.  And now she was here.
She had felt no pain, no fear, just the slightest twinge as her shoulders sprouted into wings and the wings lifted her up from the city street, carried her like an autumn leaf high into the sky, sent her whirling through a long, strange tunnel -- and now settled her down in this unfamiliar place, her four paws planted in fog.

There was fog all around her like a sea of surging gray, fearful yet wonderful to her aching senses, particularly to the broken bones in her body.

She drew a deep breath.  Was, this death, she wondered, a matter the cats often discussed as they gathered in the gutters of an evening?  Was she finished with life forever?

Where was she?  She had never felt so lonely.  She had never heard silence so loud.

Then, off in the distance, the mist began lifting, cleaving the blue sky from the green earth.  An eerie glow filled the firmament,  And, suddenly, the blaze of morning lighted the universe and Tatters found herself standing before two immense bronze gates leading to another world, mysterious beyond measure.

She caught a glimpse of blooming tree tops.  The heavenly odor of new-cut grass perfumed the air.  Perhaps these were the green pastures of promise beside the still waters for those who passed on.

No sound came to her ears.  Not a sign of life stirred anywhere.  Yet reality was everywhere.  The gates were real.  The sky was sky.  And the earth had become brown and solid underfoot......."
 from All Cats Go to Heaven by Beth Brown


13 comments:

  1. Diane I feel for what you are saying.
    It is such a deep pull of loss when our beloved pet passes.
    That excerpt is beautiful , thank you so much for sharing it.
    Soft Hug,
    Willow

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  2. Big Hugs Diane! I don't think you are crazy! I love my animals ;o) They are apart of the family! Thank you for sharing such a beautiful writing! Take Care and keep well ;o)

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  3. This is beautiful Diane, and what a wonderful tribute to your beloved Ginny. And of course, it's true. All cats go to Heaven. We have four kitties and love them all with our whole hearts and souls. So sweet and so much joy is given to us from them, and we do the same. Husband and i would do anything for them. Hugs..

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  4. What a beautiful post. You were wonderful. I do believe that these precious creatures do find comfort when we are near them and caring for them during their last moments. Cuddling them, petting them, speaking to them, anything we offer gives them peace... You helped Ginny make a peaceful transition, and she is now free of pain and suffering.

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  5. reminds me of when my brother's cat died. Even though their cat HATED their Great Dane Blue, that dog sure did miss that cat when he was gone.

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  6. It's very hard, isn't it? Like the saying goes, our kitties leave pawprints on our hearts.

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  7. Diane this was so heartfelt and made me emotional again. I have such a deep love for animals and I know how hard it id when one passes. It is so wonderful that you were there to comfort her in her last days.

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  8. Bless you. I totally understand how you feel, in my life I've loved and lost five cats. I'll never forget a single one of them. xx

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  9. Diane - this is so heart warming. I have never seen that book or read it - what a lovely post. I can see you reading to Ginny too. I am sure she knew how much you cared and loved her. Never crazy Diane when we love someone - I think it is the sanest thing we can ever do. Take care and thank you so much for sharing this excerpt.

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  10. You're not crazy. As someone once told me, "I love my cat because she's always happy to see me, never lies to me, and gets bonus points for snuggling with my mate. You can't say all of that about a human, can you?"

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  11. I agree with Riot Kitty - you are certainly not crazy! Losing a beloved pet is terribly hard, I know, I’ve been there – just give yourself time to grieve. xx

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  12. Hi Diane,

    Our animal friends, precious, never forgotten, always loved. Your words resonate of a gentle flight of Ginny. She smiles and you shall smile in knowing the love was mutual. Bless you, my friend.

    Gary

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  13. Sorry for your loss Diane. We are dealing with the declining health of our loyal family dog and will soon be in a similar situation. Lovely tribute to a dear companion.

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