You recently learned here about the passing of my friend Deborah’s cat Serena. She was one of the three cats Deborah took to Paris, which was related by Deborah in an earlier post.
It was a sad time for Deborah, and Charles, Serena’s best cat buddy and half brother, had a time getting used to her being gone. It never is an easy time, as anyone who’s been through loss of a pet knows, but we sometimes forget our animal friends also have to deal with the passing of a companion. Charles had a tough time of it.
Deborah sent me this update on how she and her kitty boys are getting along after the passing of Serena. Since many of you sent condolences, I asked her if I could share it with you.
Deborah writes:
Charles made a heroic effort to wrestle me from my bed today. It is rainy and grey and I have to grind chicken for their cat food (as a four decades plus vegetarian this is not something I exactly enjoy). Anyway, he did his circling, meowing and paws to the face many times over the course of a couple of hours before he successfully pried me into an upright position.
He then has to watch me do my morning duties including washing dishes and making coffee. He was especially frenetic with his cries this morning. You may recall he is the Spokescat because the others — well not Serena anymore — let him harass me for food while they swoop in as soon as it is served. I finally placed it on the floor and he went to his litter box to do his business, then sat on my lap without even eating any. It is the principle of the thing with him. Cats get fed as early in the morning as they can arrange to be served. Period.
Of course now he is asleep on my lap. Cats like to have their servant standing by in case they wake up and require something.
The chicken awaits me, alas. I freeze enough for about a month so these days are only once a month. I discovered both Charles and André like butternut squash! Who would have thought? André comes around when I have something he fancies (cheese for certain) and he came round to beg some squash yesterday. So I hope they will like it in their food as I have roasted a half of one. Sometimes they turn up their nose at a batch.
A postscript…:
Deborah sent this note to let me know I could use the text above. She included a new photo. Made me cry.
I like your post and it is good to know Charles’ process is recognized. He is having a restless morning meowing up at André in his bed on top of the bookcase. I guess he still misses the companionship. While he and André are also half siblings, they don’t snuggle at all. I’m not sure if it is because they are both males or because André is sable.
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Each cat mourns in their own unique way. Our Willow cat was with her elderly human, Rick’s mother, when she died. Willow crawled into her basket and put her little face down in the corner. She was devastated by the loss of her human. Willow has come out of it and seems happy again, but it took her months.
It is touching how they respond to the loss of a comp[anion, isn’t it. My friend Deborah notes her Charles is adjusting slowly to Serena’s death.
Such a different life with cats. If you serve dogs, they eat, period. At least the ones in my household. When Katja our cat still lived, she was fed in a different room she only had access to as she would take all day to finish her meal. I still miss her gentle soul.
How true! There is a lot of variation in how they approach things. A dog would gulp his daily food down in two, three gulps. A cat acts hungry, pesters you to feed him, then refuses to eat the food you prepare. LOL!
What a heartfelt post. It is indeed sad when one of our furry family members must leave us. The impact is felt throughout the family. I so wish I could explain to the ones left what has happened but alas they somehow come to terms with it. The last picture never showed but just said image.
Jean
I checked that photo again, and I think the way I attached it caused the problem. I resaved it from my post and converted it to a jpeg format. Then I deleted it from my WordPress edit file of the blog, downloaded the jpeg file of Charles and Serena, and reattached it to the edit file for that post. It was much easier to do than to describe, believe it, but I think (and hope!) you now can see the photo because it was a very poignant but sweet photo of Charles comforting Serena.
Please let me know if you can see it now, and thanks for letting me know about the problem in the first place.
It is sad when cats mourn for other cats. My Phoebe still meows around the house looking for Spooky who went to The Bridge in April. It breaks our hearts that we don’t know how to comfort her.
I understand how you must feel. That is the saddest part of animal buddies losing their buddy. You wish there were a way to help them deal with the death, but they have to work it out on their own. I guess we can help by cuddling and loving them a little more.
I wanted to wish you Happy Thanksgiving
Take care
Sheldon
Thank you, Sheldon! My plan so far is to relax, enjoy the first day in a long time I don’t have appointments or problems that have to be dealt with immediately. I sense a nap coming on!
cute story cute cats. The one they are on the chair is amazing. but my favorite one is the portrait of Charles.
Deborah shared those photos with me, and I thought they showed the relationships of her cats well. I liked the one of Serena and Charles at the table myself, Cats are more social than they are given credit for, but people who live with cats know they quickly take a part of our hearts with their antics and sweetness.