Saturday, December 12, 2020

Letter from home

Here I am again, sitting in bed blogging at 6.52 a.m. 

But Chione should be here too, sitting beside me, wanting me to stroke her so I have to do one-hand typing.

I am surprised at how much I miss her. Every time I walk in the kitchen I glance at the window, expecting to see her sitting on the sill outside, waiting to be let in. I just went downstairs for tea and she wasn't pestering me to be fed as I switched the kettle on, and getting under my feet as I walked to the porch with her food. 

Poor Chione. They found an inoperable tumour in her mouth on Thursday, which explained why she was so miserable and couldn't eat. We didn't hesitate when the vet rang up, even though it made us sad. The vet put her to sleep, and Covid social distancing regulations meant I couldn't hold her and talk to her while they gave her the injection. The vet said she would stroke her and talk to her, but Chione didn't know the vet. If only we could explain things to animals and know they understood.  

We're going to scatter her ashes in her favourite sunny spot on the south side of the hawthorn tree at the front.

This is her on Thursday morning, fed up, 15 years old and still as pretty as when she arrived:



This is her when she arrived and in her early years at Hepworth towers:














R.I.P. Chione





 

9 comments:

Sally said...

Morning Sue, Sorry to hear your sad news. Beautiful photos of your beautiful cat, I imagine she had the happiest & best cared for life, plus one cool name. Sally x

Sue Hepworth said...

Thank you, Sally.
She was the longest lived of all of our six cats. She was no bother, and fairly aloof until a couple of years ago when she decided we were worth knowing and good providers of hearty strokes. So this last couple of years, she was lovely company. X

Sally said...

Happy memories... x

marmee said...

So sorry sue! Your previous and this post grabbed at my heart! I lost four very longlived cats over a a few years some time ago and it was such a painful time for me, an era passing with the cats. Full house to none. The last one to go was the true cat of my heart, in the last years she would often sleep on my shoulder at night ( she was tiny) . Well, it is the price of entry for love . It is sore when we lose the cat, the person.

Sue Hepworth said...

Yes, the price of love.xx

Susan D said...

I'm so sorry to hear that, Sue. I've been sans cat for three years, and will always be now. What joy she must have brought to you.

Sue Hepworth said...

Thank you Susan. She was a long time companion, and we are missing her.

Lois said...

Chione looks lovely and it's heartbreaking to have to decide the fate of a poorly pet. I can imagine how much you're missing her. We had two sister tabbies and it was so upsetting when they became ill one after the other that we've never had any more. I remember sitting down for the pre-prandial fizz on Christmas Day and tears starting to flow as the loss hit me once more.

Sue Hepworth said...

Thank you, Lois,
I am surprised by how much I miss her when I wasn’t sentimental about her.
And it was horrid not being able to be with her when they gave her the injection.