Last One

I have written several odes to this cat since beginning the blog two years ago. Tonight will be the last one.

I have been warning DH about her imminent demise since we began dating 13 years ago. The warnings reached a point of ridiculosity when finally a year or two ago, he turned to me and said, "That cat's going to outlive you. She will outlive us all."

The last year or so has been the first we've seen of her showing signs of age. However, she has continued to eat a little and drink a little every day to the end.

She did not become ill or have any external injuries. To the contrary, we realized she had not shown up for her water, nor screeched at us from the bed to come join her, and I got up in the night to go look for her. I had to really look, searching her traditional hiding places, until I found her. When I did, I thought perhaps she was asleep, and called loudly to her, as her hearing has left her in recent months. Finally, I reached for her, and realized she was gone.

We think DS2 was about 9 the year he brought her home to save her from the cold and certain death. DS2 turned 30 last year which would make this dear old cat 21 at that time. We named her Frances, after the little girl in the Frances books by Russell and Lillian Hoban. Only in the past 10 years or so have we altered the name to Francie.

The picture you see at the top of this page looks like a kitten, but it was taken last fall; she was somewhere around 20 years old.

She survived life with other cats: Jennifer, the sleek black cat we had in Virginia. Jennifer died the day after DS2 left for Boot Camp. (It was a tough week for me!) Molly, the giant white powder puff DH had when we married. Ever see the move Lady and the Tramp? There's a pair of cats in that movie that remind me of Molly. Molly passed away shortly after we moved into this house 10 years ago. Unfortunately we attended a large Christmas Extravaganza in Nearby Large Town the same day, and I'll be darned if there weren't Pet Portrait booths at every turn. I felt so so guilty and sorry for DH who kept his game face on to the end. She has co-existed with Daniel now for about 3 years. Daniel is a giant but gentle as a ....well, as a kitten. He has deferred to her so nicely.

She has survived about a zillion moves. We almost lost her when we moved from VA to NC. The movers freaked her out and she ran for it. Fortunately, ex-H, who had zero affinity for cats, continued to search for her for 4 days and drove her to NC when he finally found her. Yes, he's a pretty nice guy.

I remember the night she turned on a lamp and we asked her to turn it off. She did. I clearly remember DS2 on that Sunday morning, standing there in his Glen plaid suit, framed in the large doorway of our Virginia house, holding her in his suit jacket. Her eyes were matted and closed and her chest rattled and wheezed as she struggled to breathe.

She slept with me when my mother died, when my earlier marriage failed, when a child ran away from home, when DS2 joined the Marines. She sensed when I did not feel well, and knew whether to cuddle close or to gve me space. Like me, she adored to be petted, and purred louder than any cat I've ever known when we did take the time to pet her.

We worked hard to save her life, that first week in Virginia, and in many ways over the years, she has returned the favor for me. Good night, Francie.