Saying Goodbye to Johnny

Every week in the past our great, spectacularly goofy, sweetie-pie Johnny cat died.  She had most cancers.  All of it occurred so terribly quick and nonetheless feels laborious to consider.

No field was too small to attempt for the John-john.  7/10/2019

Lower than a month in the past I used to be writing about how the spunky broad would steal Matt’s chair.  There was no indication then that she’d so quickly be gone.  It was such a shock.  The most cancers was fast-growing and incurable.  By the point the tumor was obvious, candy Johnny’s esophagus was virtually absolutely obstructed by it.   

Johnny did not spend a lot time exterior, however in the previous few years, she began hanging out on the patio if the remainder of us had been out again.  She did not wish to be the one one overlooked of the backyard enjoyable.  7/25/2021

The saga began merely sufficient.  We observed she had misplaced weight and booked an appointment for a check-up with the vet.  Once I made the appointment I sincerely wasn’t frightened.  She was 18 years old–no spring rooster for a kitty!  Dropping some weight did not appear that alarming, particularly since she’s all the time carried just a little further poundage anyway.  I’ve definitely seen it occur in human and non-human animals as they age.  She was consuming and ingesting and shifting round, enjoying, giving Ginger kisses, stealing Matt’s chair, and in any other case behaving usually.  Or as regular as she ever did, the goof.

Hanging together with her softie ball in one of many cat tunnels.  4/18/2020

After which…her eyes went bizarre…one of many pupils stopped constricting… and I formally grew frightened. Beside myself with fear, in actual fact. 

My stitching desk buddy.  1/30/2019

Regardless of the wonky mismatched pupils, Johnny’s preliminary appointment was pretty optimistic.  Her bloodwork was “almost good” for a feline tremendous senior.  However in a matter of days, she shrank in upon herself.  A second appointment was scheduled–and then moved up every week as a result of she appeared to be fading earlier than our very eyes.  The vigor and curiosity with which she approached life merely vanished within the span of two days.  The sunshine in her normally radiant eyes dimmed.  She did not wish to play.  She struggled to eat.  She ignored Ginger’s makes an attempt at interplay.  Her purring almost ceased.  She grew silent and withdrawn.  She drooled like a St. Bernard.  She slept and slept and slept and would not come up from the basement.  

Johnny, packed and able to go.  4/26/2019

We took her dwelling from the vet the second time–Valentine’s Day–so we might have one final evening collectively.  Her original human companion, Michelle, came visiting and all of us sat on the ground showering Johnny with our love and praise–reminding her time and again what a very good kitty she was.  Michelle instructed us tales about Johnny being sufficiently small to suit into her palm.  She shared photographs from when Johnny lived together with her and did a spot-on impression of Johnny working herself as much as a bounce that made us giggle regardless of our sorrow.  It was a very good final evening.

As with containers, Johnny was a sucker for the shoe pile.  It drew her in like a magnet.  Sandals particularly.  6/26/2020

The following morning began beautiful.  Johnny even obtained a strong purr going for some head scratches.  Mid-morning although she had a really alarming match after which utterly withdrew from us, retreating below the mattress to die in privateness.  We knew it was time to let her go.  Our vet, bless her, thanked us for recognizing this as she gave Johnny the compassionate care that eased her exit from this mortal airplane.  “You would not consider the issues I’ve seen folks put their pets via as a result of they cannot say goodbye.”  The clinic additionally despatched us a beautiful rose and a sympathy notice the day after Johnny died.

“My valuable.”  Holding on to each of her favourite toys at once–the cardboard tube and the catnip fish!  She had that fish below her head like a pillow as she handed.  2/8/2020

So, we’re a one-cat family once more.  It feels unusual after greater than seven years with the pair.  It took Ginger a very good whereas to become pals with Johnny. She was not initially impressed by the addition.  I believe she misses Johnny now although.  She has definitely observed the adjustments as we take away the second meals bowl, litter field, Johnny’s toys, and so on.  Ginger needs further cuddles and all the lap time we can provide her this week.  In fact, it did not assist that I left for a stitching retreat the day after Johnny died.  She’s been my little shadow since I obtained dwelling once more.  

Enjoying with some Christmas paper chains.  12/6/2020

I frightened about how Matt would cope.  That is his first time mourning a pet like this.  And, oh, it’s so laborious.  All of the extra so since Johnny and Matt had been greatest buddies, too.  She claimed him as her favourite human from the second she got here into the home.  Inside an hour they had been cuddling on the sofa collectively.  Their love was on one other degree.  Matt was so candy and attentive to her particular needs–getting a decrease litter field so she might get out and in extra simply, including little pet stairs and risers to assist her climb as much as her favourite chairs as a result of it was laborious for her to leap.  It goes with out saying that he took shedding his buddy fairly laborious.

Utilizing the “stairs” to stand up to her favourite inexperienced chairs. 8/3/2020

The love and pleasure that Johnny introduced us are past measure.   The absence feels everyplace proper now although I do know we’ll alter.  We hold trying to her favourite spots like we count on to nonetheless discover her curled up there…   It feels bizarre not having her round. 

Cat buddies napping within the solar.  4/20/2020

To go away for work with out saying goodbye to each cats.  

To return dwelling and never have her greet us on the door.

To not see her eyes gentle up when a brand new cardboard field turns up.  

To not have her trot over when she sees a pint of ice cream come out of the freezer.

To immediately recycle brown paper grocery baggage as a substitute of tossing them out for Johnny to nap on and rip to shreds first.

To not discover her curled up with our sneakers by the entrance door. (“Pretending to be a shoe.”)

To play board video games with out her demanding the box lid to sit in.

To not have her sneaking into our baggage as we’re packing for a visit.

To take a shower with out her busting in on me to sit down on the bathmat for some damp, soapy affection.

Huzzah for containers!  2/11/2022

No extra (loud) meowing conversations with us about all her favourite issues.

No extra stitching with Johnny as my “supurrvisor.”

No extra loud night breathing from the cat mattress below the warmth vent.

No extra shameless begging for armpit scratches and stomach rubs.

No extra working into the toilet when we light up the palo santo.

No extra clickity-clack of her nail caps throughout the kitchen linoleum.

No extra “excessive fives” within the morning.

No extra bottle caps within the water bowl.

No extra chair stealing on the puzzle desk.

No extra discovering her napping within the laundry basket.

No extra hopeful eyes that might discuss us into no matter she needed.

Johnny had essentially the most expressive eyes that I’ve but seen on a cat.  She might say a lot with them.  8/11/2020

Johnny was a good cat.  We miss her.  I am grateful for the life she had although.  I want it might have been longer.  I want we might have had extra time collectively, however I do know that she had a very good run.  She was so cherished.  Sooooooooooooooooooooooo cherished and so loving.

Johnny strolling over the rainbow prism forged by a glass piece in our window.  5/2/2020