Goodnight Purdy

Help & Support for those who have lost a beloved cat
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Mollycat
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Goodnight Purdy

Post by Mollycat »

I am not known for short sharp posts so apologies in advance.

Purdy, at least 24 years old, who was old enough to vote in 2015, who was born in the last century, took her place at the Bridge last night. She was the last of our three with my ex, and another chapter is closed. Sleep tight little Purdy.

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She moved in not long before I moved out, and overlapped with Sarah for a couple of years or so. It wasn't a happy overlap but she followed Henry from their old home and both girls stuck to their guns with just the occasional fisticuffs. At first ex kept phoning the old owners to come and get her, and telling her we couldn't have her because we only had a black and white licence (old joke but hopefully most of us are old enough to remember the days before colour TV) - to no avail, she was a quietly stubborn creature.

Purdy was well named (not by us) as you only had to look in her direction to get a huge rumbling purr, and in between purrs she thripped and trilled. On the downside she was also nippy and would happily chew on your fingers quite hard while never dropping the purr. She was one of the happiest and easiest to please cats ever, taking a move two years ago in her stride despite the short term presence of a dog in the new house. Recently I had to deal with an ingrown claw, because ex said if she went to the vet they wouldn't let us have her back. Sure, she was thin and her coat had a few mats, but she was still lively and bright.

On Saturday - I will never forget this so long as I live - she was open mouth breathing in, and purring out. She gave me that look. I hinted to ex that perhaps, soon ... I felt it would be no more than a few days. We hoped she would do as Sarah had done, and simply forget to wake up, but yesterday I took the call that he wasn't prepared to wait and see another 24 hours. I rang my own vet and had to register her on the phone before getting her there within an hour. She was taken in to be examined first but everyone knew, and then the vet came back to invite us inside to be with her. There was no pressure, no judgement, no rush. It was one of the new vets I haven't seen before but the same tactful, gentle, respectful kindness as I had been given when it was Boo's time.

As I put a supportive arm around his shoulders and he stroked her tiny thin body for the last time, I had a flashback, to the first one we lost together, my Misha, the other Tortie before our trio, and of me stroking Tortie fur one last time as he comforted me. Strange way life has of coming back to echo the past once again. Sleep tight, thrippy-cat.

Despite washing my hands thoroughly as soon as I got home, Molly sniffed for a good while and then stuck to me like a shadow for the evening and stayed on the bed all night. I think she senses emotions so subtle I can't even feel them enough to name them.
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fjm
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Re: Goodnight Purdy

Post by fjm »

A long life, well lived, and happy to the very last hours. I am glad you were both able to be with her at the end - hugs to you both.
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Re: Goodnight Purdy

Post by issiandarchie+68 »

Such sad news, dear Mollycat. Sending virtual hugs. RIP little cat. 😥😥
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Mollycat
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Re: Goodnight Purdy

Post by Mollycat »

Thank you both very kindly, it's the end of an era.

Spookily, Facebook informs me that today is Sarah's 9th anniversary.
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Ruth B
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Re: Goodnight Purdy

Post by Ruth B »

I can only add my sympathies to those already given. Purdy obviously had a good life and in the end a good farewell, i'm so glad the vets let you in to be with her at the end, it does seem to be the one thing that most do let you in for, but I've heard tales of people not being able to say good bye and it scared me that Tiggy might have decided she had had enough during lock down, I'm happy to say she is still plodding on and causing mischief in her own slow way.

Sorry i was a bit late coming to this, April isn't a good month for me with the anniversaries of both my parents deaths in it.

Take care of yourself, Molly and Snoopy (I think they were the right names, i'm terrible with names).
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Mollycat
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Re: Goodnight Purdy

Post by Mollycat »

Ruth, thank you, not just for your kind thoughts but also for being so real. Yes it's Molly and Snoopy and I confess sometimes I have to check members' cats' names before posting. Less so now. It doesn't help that one set of typing on a screen looks much like another, I mean we all have different styles but it's not as if we had voices and faces, it makes it harder to remember details, or be sure we've remembered right. I certainly would never be offended anyway.

Realised this morning that Purdy is my 4th who needed help and my 4 full mooner. Sarah went in her sleep. All the other 4 have died on the full moon, well Boo was 2 days before but even so. Slightly spooky.

And then a friend had a cat wander into her shop which she was able to chip check and reunite with her rightful owner, a sweet looking leggy calico tortie and white. All in all a little weird, maybe we just look for patterns.

Yes I get you about Tiggy. Snoop's leg was bad timing, he never saw the vet when he was attacked last April just into the thick of lockdown. And I only had Molly in because we arranged that she would be in and done to check out a lump and do a dental, so regardless I had to leave her so not being able to go in became irrelevant. I don't know what Purdy's vets were doing, but after the experience I had there with Henry, there was no way I was taking Purdy there. I left them for a reason!

Be safe everyone, hold your furry felines tight.
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