My dearest Dante, my sweet and affectionate Ruddy Abyssinian, died Friday morning of heart failure. He was evidently in the early stages of pancreatic cancer and the stress on his body was too much for him.
Dante was found on the street three years ago and was obviously a well-loved cat who somehow lost his home. We tried to find his original home but no one responded to the newspaper ads nor did any of the vets in the area where he was found know him. His home had somehow vanished.
Our vet said he was about 6 or 7 years old when he was found and, unfortunately, now FIV positive. When I met him, he was being fostered in a lovely home where they had cleaned his ears, brushed him, fed him well and given him a lot of loving attention including sleeping with him so he wouldn't be alone at night - much to the dismay of their two cats. Dante loved every second of it! A few days later they brought him to my home and Dante quickly established this place as his home too. Within two weeks he was sleeping soundly on his back with his belly exposed - always a good sign!
Every day he gave something to laugh about - he was quite the character - and he visited our neighbors who genuinely enjoyed his company. They would even call me to see if he wanted to come over, which he usually did. He was quite the social animal! I never slept alone, he was always cuddled up with me at night, and he always met me at the door when I got home from work wanting to be picked up and cuddled. He knew what time to expect me and would catloaf at the door waiting for me; however, if I came home early I'd find him asleep on the bed. I always wondered where he hid his alarm clock.
I had noticed that his play time was getting shorter in recent months but I dismissed that as a product of being almost 10 years old. He was still active and ran through the house at times doing a hit-and-run on a toy mouse (leaving it flying through the air as he ran away), his appetite was robust, his eyes were clear and bright and he was his usual intensely affectionate self. I know now that I couldn't have saved him even if I had known there was a real health problem building. Fortunately he had only about a day and a half of poor health before the end.
I couldn't have found a more affectionate cat. He would at times sit in front of me on the table and raise his paw to touch me on the lips then he'd tilt his head and press the top of his head against my lips to get kissed. He'd sit back and repeat the lip touch and the head tilt and press. We'd go through this several more times until I'd put my arms around him and snuggle him which would bring on a deeper, rumbling purr. With Dante, affection was his first and foremost need.
I will miss him every second of my life.
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I wish we didn't have to experience such sadness as a price for the love and warmth we feel when we love our pets so much, and vice-versa. But I'd never give up the emotional closeness with my pets in order to avoid the pain that will come when we have to be separated. I'm sure you feel the same way...... Please, let the memories comfort you, and know that he is not in any pain now, and is happily playing at the Rainbow Bridge while he waits for you there........
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