Six years ago today...

[smokey the elder]

Smokey the Elder lost her battle with cancer. She died in my lap.

I got Smokey from a shelter 4 months after my previous cat escaped from a cat sitter's house and was never seen again. She was extremely thin, had had major parasite infections, and numerous litters of kittens. She sat in my lap and purred.

We never knew how old she was. When I took her to the vet in 1996 for what turned out to be a severe urinary tract infection, he said she was over ten years old, possible much older than that. She recovered from this, but was plagued by many health problems. In 1997 she lost over 60% of her body weight but tested negative for everything. We nursed her back to health with baby food and Hill's AD.

Thanksgiving 1998 she started limping. I knew she was old; maybe she had arthritis. I should be so lucky. She had an X-ray; the vet suspected cancer. After going to an oncologist, and mulling over the risk with her advanced age and anesthesia, I decided to have her leg amputated.

The day I brought her in for the surgery, I met two people who had amputee pets! They assured me that she should adapt very easily,,,and she did! The day she came home she hopped up to the second floor and ensconced herself on the waterbed (this was in the winter!)

Then I got the diagnosis: a jaw-breaker of a name called "hemangiosarcoma" which is extremely aggressive, and rare in cats. Grr; Smokey said we're not giving up. She had a couple of chemo sessions where she cooperated beautifully. But when she went to the third they saw something suspicious on the ultrasound. We decided to stop the chemo, since it would be hard on such an old cat.

But, she survived nine months after that point, and only went downhill a week before she died. A few days before, she stopped purring, which was a bad sign. I took her to the vet, and she was loaded with tumors. I took her home to spend a last weekend, and she took away the decision for me.

Smokey was a very special cat. With all her problems, she was always sweet, would find a lap to lie in, and had a world championship purr. Her memory is honored in my choice of handle and in naming a kitten Smokey the Younger.

RIP, Smokey! Go find my Dad. He's got your favorite shoestring, that you played with up until the end, and that vanished after you went to the RB.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

What a lovely tribute to what I'm sure was a lovely cat. You can tell you loved her so and miss her terribly because of choice of names.

Hope you're having fun at the RB Smokey!

[slick]

Major LES going on here right now. What a wonderful tribute to Smokey. Hope you having a wonderful time up there Smokey. Play happy until you meet your hooman again.

[catmandu]

Our Smokeys are having a Great Time at The Rainbow Bridge,flying about without a care in the World.My Smokey died in my lap too,after he had suffered a massive stroke.
And we will see them again when we are reunited One Fine Day!

[Cataholic]

What a beautiful tribute to Smokey the Elder. Beautiful. May she RIP, along with your father, playing with the shoestring.

Johanna

[CATastrophy]

Heres to Smokey : Our companionship was made by you,from its beginning to the end..and the in-between too. I'm not sure if "human terms" is identical to a cat. But the way in which we shared a bond, well we both embraced that. I want to say I miss you; and I know you knew I tried...I'm not ashamed to say I loved you;that when you passed away I cried. In our way its just so hard for us to say goodbye and "let it go"...so I'll say thanks again good friend so in your way you'd know. Thanks for sharing your story;Smokey really was a world-class trooper but it also sounds like his human was as well.

[Frostfrog]

There, you see, Smokey's been dead for six years now, yet still she lives so strong in your heart as to cause you to write such a tribute after all this time.

That's how it is with a good cat. I have never known a cat who was not a good cat.