I too had lost my eldest cat earlier this year. He was 21yrs. and had lived quite the pampered life. It was difficult to see his health decline over the last 6mos of his life. He slowly started losing his muscle mass(which is something i had heard about happening as they started to go), he was blind in one eye and sight was impaired in the other. Climbing up onto the sofa or bed became difficult and finally i had to help him up, as the arthritis in his hips wouldn't allow it. I came home from work one day and noticed him having trouble walking with his hind legs(figured he had had a stroke, and had some paralysis), But still he trudged on. about 2 weeks later i came home from work to find him lying by the food and water dishes.. he had just lay down and(i figured he had had another stroke and even his remaining lives were not enough to save him)passed.
I can honestly say he was the best cat i've ever had.. he used to play fetch with this toy i had gotten him as a kitten.. a feat i can't seem to get the other two cats to do.. I miss him often and find myself wishing the other two were more like him. Which is really unfair to them because they're great cats as well..
In the grief process i came to the realiztation that he had lived a full life, and at 21yrs of age had beaten the odds for a housecat. I also concluded that although he was gone, and that i missed his company, he was no longer suffering from his ailments. This was a great help in my overcomming his loss.
Today i have many pictures to remember him by, i still have his old toy he used to fetch, and have let the other cats use his bed... I have pics in an album from when he was born(i had his mother until she went crazy and i had to let her go on a farm), until just a few weeks before he died...
So my friend, if you keep the memory of her alive, and realize she is really better off than staying here in pain then you will turn the sadness into happy thoughts sooner than later...
ALSO... very nice poem, i think it very feline in character...
