Goodbye, Old Friend

In memory of our dear friend and companion of twenty-four years, Flicky, who passed away quietly in her sleep at 8 p.m. this evening.

This picture of her was taken last summer and it was hard to believe then that she was 24.  We acquired Flicky and another cat, who died several years ago, on the same day. We went to the Cats Protection League to see if we could give a kitten a home.  We had settled on the first cat when somebody brought in this tiny Tabby.  She had been found in a plastic bag of dead kittens and she was the only one who had somehow clung to life.  Naturally, we could not leave her when we saw her - so home she came with us.

At the age of two she was run over by a neighbour (Flicky was on the pavement at the time and the neighbour lost control of her car).  She suffered horrific injuries but I refused to give up and weeks of nursing did the trick.  She had a plastic hip but up until yesterday was still leaping high on to her favourite place, beside our boiler.  She still tore down the garden at a remarkable pace as well.

She had her dinner last night but when she looked at me I saw, for the first time, how the light seemed to have faded from her eyes and I knew the approaching sign, having kept animals all my life.

I am so glad today was warm and sunny. She went into our sunlounge and curled up in her favourite spot.  She never left it.  She slept on, scarcely breathing, could take no food and water but she was warm and secure in her own home.  As it got dark, I covered her with a blanket and she managed to look at me with sunken eyes as if to thank me.  I kept checking on her of course and found just after 8 p.m. that her little soul had left her body.

I cannot tell you how we will miss her.  When we came here we had five cats, now we are down to just one and it is going to be very strange for him without her.  She was very vocal and always mewed at you whenever you walked by her.  She was a plucky little thing, always undersized, she defied the vets prediction of not living as long as most cats,  moved house with us several times and grew up with Becky.  You cannot have a pet in your house for nearly a quarter of a century without them leaving a big hole.  It is hard for me to type this with tears pouring down my face.

She had a favourite place in one of our flower beds where she would lie for hours in the summer.  We have placed her in a box and tomorrow Mike will dig her grave.  She will  be laid to rest under a tree and amid the flowers she loved to pat at with her paw.  It is fitting that she remain here, in the home she loved.

Goodbye, sweet dear Flicky.  Goodbye lovely little lady. Boss and I will always miss you.  Thank you for all those long years of love.  If there is a heaven for cats, you are there now being re-united with Peanut, Muffin, Jasper and all the other cats you shared your life with in the past.

Sleep well our dear and gentle old friend. You deserve it. We will always love you and we will always remember.