I can't say any more right now. I'm too sick w/grief.
ETA: I brought Puddy home when she was 5 weeks old. She had a metal splint on her leg because she was born w/her left hind leg sticking out like a wing. Her mother rejected her, so her human family bottle fed her. Their vet suggested amputating Puddy's leg but they didn't want to do that so he put the metal splint on it, causing her to drag her leg behind her as she walked. After a brief time, the family realized that it was going to be too much work to take care of her and decided to have her put to sleep. My son's girlfriend at that time heard about her and said "Please don't do anything yet! My boyfriend's mom rescues cats. Let me talk to her about this". I took one look at her, picked her up and said "What about it? Wanna come home w/me?" and she hissed at me. That clinched the deal. I love cats w/"catitude" and she was loaded w/it. I wanted to bring her little orange brother home, too, because he was busily chewing on my shoe while I was holding her but I knew that I was going to be in enough trouble w/my husband just for adding one more cat to the household, bringing the total to 4 at that time.
On the way home I tried to think of what I could do to soften up my husband and then it came to me: as soon as I get out of the car, I should hold her up in front of my face, leg in the splint hanging down, both of us looking pathetic. It worked. My husband took one look and said "Oh, poor little sweety". I knew we had him. He said "What should we name her?" and I said "I already named her Puddy, as in 'I tot I taw a Puddy Tat'. "Perfect!" he said.
I had to keep her isolated until her tests revealed that it was ok to be around the rest of the Fur Posse and so she had the run of the downstairs to herself. When she was finally allowed to be around the others, I knew that sweet Pidgie would be the one to introduce her to first. Rambunctious little Puddy ran over to Pidge and head butted her, hissing and spitting and carrying on. Calm as can be, Pidge put her gigantic paw on Puddy's head and held it to the floor, Puddy hissing and paws flying until she tuckered out. Pidge never took her paw off Puddy's head until she calmed down. They were good buddies after that. Peeka and Boo were easy. Puddy had them buffaloed from the getgo. Coco Puff was Puddy's horsefly, always bothering her. Yodie wisely kept her distance. Specs was scared to death of her. But Creamsicle...little Cgirl loved Puddy and Puddy loved her, too. She's the only one that she would snuggle up to and allow to groom her. I know that Cgirl will miss her buddy Puddy.
Shortly thereafter my vet, Dr. LeBeau, said "Let's take a look at this leg". He removed the cast and saw that the metal splint had rubbed an ulcer clear down to the bone. He treated it and said "I don't think this is going to work. You should just leave the splint off. She'll walk w/a limp. Can you live w/that?" I said "If she can live w/it, I can live w/it. You don't have to be perfect to live in my house". My husband said that she walked like John Wayne and he affectionately called her Jane Wayne after that. From then on Puddy led a pampered life w/the Fur Posse, in her later years developing chronic renal failure, going on subcutaneous fluids off and on until her passing today.
She was the toughest cat I've ever known and my current vet, Dr. Lee, said he's never had a patient like her, who came back even stronger after every health challenge, until today, that is. Some people misunderstood Puddy and called her "mean", I guess because she hissed a lot. HA! That was her way of letting us all know who was boss. I'll miss my Shnorkey so much. My life will never be the same. This house now has a huge void. I wish I could hold her tiny little 5 lb. furry body up to my face just one more time, look into those fiery eyes and tell her "You're my most favoritest kitty kat in the whole wide world ever ever ever". And hear her hiss and I would laugh. Not today. Not ever again. Take a nice long rest my little Calico Queen. Then look for Peeka there; she's waiting for you. And please wait for me when my time comes. Until then, I'll miss you and I'm still counting on you to "watch the house for Mommy" from the spirit world. I know you can do it. You're Puddy.
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Heaven is the place of final and complete happinees God has prepared for us----and if animals are necessary to make us happy in heaven, then you can be sure God will have them there. Reverend Billy Graham
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