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Thursday, July 21, 2011

On my mind...a bit of sadness but it will pass...

Last night my cat Lina died peacefully at the vet’s. It was a tough decision but one that had to be made...she was near death and there was no chance she could get better. I am so fortunate to have the loveliest vet; Cecelia is a wonderful and caring person.
1998: Lina in front, Finbar behind, lolling on the dining room chairs
Paolina Melody Coulthard was born sometime in late 1997. Early in 1998 a dear little black cat which I had named Moses got run over and killed on the street outside our house. We missed not having a cat so eventually towards the middle of the year, as a family, we decided to look for another cat. A vet practice at Eaton’s Hill advertised some rescued kittens and one was a male, so we set off to see if we could buy him. We were shown the cage where he was. There were 2 kittens in the cage and the smaller one was licking the male’s ears and head. We were told that it was a female and both had been rescued together. I felt I couldn’t separate them as there was obviously a bond...so impetuously I said, ‘I’ll take both’!  My husband at the time and one daughter were very cross with me...but my other daughter was my ally. Might I add here that I was the breadwinner, my husband didn’t work but I have to admit that my job was only as a relief teacher but I felt it was something I had to do i.e. rescue both!
My daughters named her.  The male, I named Finbar Ambrose and he was the loveliest gentlest cat imaginable. It became obvious that Lina was not a cuddly cat but we accepted that...you didn’t pick her up but you could pat her and tickle her ears and she would respond with the loudest purr! Lina was also a good ‘smooger’, especially around our legs or our hands. She was also a bit of a ‘guts’; we nicknamed her, ’Lina the Cleaner’ as she would lick out all the food bowls. Despite our best efforts she grew rather rotund.
Taken in 2009; she still liked to let the 'arms' hang down!



Due to the marriage breakdown, Lina, Finbar and I were parted for 4 years. Finbar went missing in the 3rd of those years, never to be found. During the ‘settlement’ I regained custody of Lina and she came to live with us. She loved our garden as it was bigger that that at our former home. She loved the cane lounge on the side veranda, covering it with her cat fur, she loved her food and she loved to run to me, when I was hanging washing on the line, for a smooge or she would sit beside me on the bench seat enjoying the winter sun. When I was working, she and Eduardo would run down to the front garden to greet me when I got home from work.
Lina’s health started to suffer this year...problems with the kidneys have been identified. While we were away she lost a lot of weight...she regained a little when we came home but sadly started  ‘going backwards’ in the last fortnight. She had a ‘mass’ in her abdomen...sadly she was too weak to even consider intervention...I said my good-byes, Cecelia pushed in the needle attached to the canula, ‘Leenie’ put her head on her paws and then her heart stopped....I stroked her fur and gave her one last kiss.
Vale, Lina

9 comments:

rhonda jean said...

Maria, I'm so sorry to hear about Lina. I'm sure you have lovely memories of her. It's such a difficult decision to make but you can be sure you did the best for her and helped her right to the last. I fear we'll be making a similar decision soon.

{ T G L } said...

Gosh, I am really sorry. As a cat lover, I can relate a little to the pain of losing a beloved cat. You wrote a lovely tribute to her and you can rest assured that you did the right (and most compassionate) thing. I hope you find some healing soon!

(Visiting from the 'Down to Earth' link up).

Blessings,
This Good Life
http://this-good-life.blogspot.com/2011/07/on-my-mind-sprouting-consciousness.html

Claud said...

Dear friend - I can't even imagine what you're going through. It's one of the things I dread the most and refuse to even think about. CC and I will pray for Lina tonight, but we know she is already in a beautiful place where kitties never get old, nap in sunny windows, chase mice and where scratches behind the ears are abundant. Big, tight hug to you from your friends across the world.

xo.sorcha.ox said...

I'm sorry to hear about your cat. Losing a pet is so hard!
~S.

Kristi said...

I'm sorry to hear that, my thoughts are with you.

Grant said...

I was touched by your story. I know what it is to lose a dearly loved cat. Hugs across the sea.

Mary said...

I am so sorry for your loss. While I do love humans I do believe I love our 4 legged furry companions even more. Their love is pure like a child's.

Minnie said...

I'm so sorry about Lina. She was a gorgeous looking cat. It's so hard when you lose a much loved pet. I cried for weeks when my last cat died, aged 19. Four of our cats (and the dog) are sat here by me as I type...like little guards! They're so loyal...and all very different, character wise. Maybe, when your heart mends a bit, you could share your home with another? Hugs from me and the mogs in the UK. x

Becky said...

I've been through this myself and it was heart wrenching for me. I hope your heart heals quickly - my husband thought I'd need therapy to get over the loss of "our" first cat Sonny. We had him for 17 years of sweet kitty love.