2014-04-26 8:06 PM
Now stop trying to drag me into the txt world! Get off my lawn! Rarr. Kids these days.
It stormed during the night and remains dreary today. It will remain dreary for some time, regardless of the weather. I wanted to get up in the night and try to let her in from the rain but, of course, she won't be waiting on our porch or peering out from our neighbour's. I'll never see her when I return from work again. Our neighbour said he'd never seen such devotion in a cat; she would wait on the back porch late afternoon for the sound of my car. At night, she won't hop up on the bed anymore and try to wake me by lightly tapping my face or licking my hand or standing on my chest and breathing forth foul cat breath. When my wife hits the high notes while practicing her songs, no little predator will demand to be let out, even in midwinter. She no more will stand on hind legs and take a cat treat.
I freely acknowledge: far worse things happen in the world then the death of a cat. Since I wrote the draft of this, we've watched a good many people die in conflicts and crashes. Here in town, a family lost a young child to a bizarre accident in which she was entirely an innocent bystander. It does not mean we aren't touched by our own losses-- in this case, the unexpected passing of Slim the Cat, in some ways as mysterious as her origins.
She turned up about six years ago, and gradually moved into our house. Our neighbours knew her best as the cat that sat upon our mailbox and surveyed the world.
We were spending the week with friends at a rental cottage on Lake Huron. The week began so well; by Wednesday, I was even relaxed. We were close enough to home that my wife could return a couple of times for some course-work.
Do we have some sense that sees more deeply, the PSI of psychic mythology, or do we just recall those things that fit? Because my wife went swimming under moonlight Thursday night. I stayed on the shore, but I had a strange sense of impending doom. She slept fitfully Thursday night into Friday morning, and blamed dreams of "dark energy."
Other friends had driven up for dinner, including the woman looking after the cat and her partner. Singularity Girl, I used to call her, when I referenced her online. She was my teen sidekick when I was in my thirties, and our adoptive niece. She's now in her thirties, and remains one of our closest friends:
2014-06-28 12:28 PM
The cat is out.
Also, would you be able to open front blinds in am, close them in pm? Thanks again. Caull if u have any concerns.
No problem! Have a safe drive!
Tanks.
Umm and jeeps, apparently.
Haha stupid autocorrect
2013-06-28 6:39 PM
We are good. Is all okay there?
Hmm Yeah, she's back outside again.
Great. Thanks again.
No problem! She's very sweet and she remembers me and was being very friendly.
Cool.
Later
Slim is awesome. Had no trouble getting her in, she ate canned food and wanted to go out again right away. We had a petting session on the lawn and than she went to snooze in the shade. So she's out.
Great.
:)
2014-06-29 8:26 AM
Heya! Just got back from your place. Slim ate and I petted her. She's outside.
Urrrrr. Good morning. And thanks. Still good for Thursday? Place ia beautiful.
Still good for thursday. I imagine it is very peaceful.
Except for the texts. No it's good to know. If you're able (u may be busy I know) to check in late aft early evening nice but not necessary. Have a good day and thanks again. We have a very friendly cat in our cottage. Just adopted stray owners are keeping her here to separate her from their others while she recovers from sugary.
Surgery! She did not eat too much candy.
Lmao that was too funny! I'll do my best to stop in again. Have a fun day :)
2014-06-29 5:09 PM
Stopped in on spim it's pouring rain here. I fed her the canned food and she's inside.
2014-06-29 7:36 PM
We got that too. Thanks.
2014-07-01 8:40 PM
Stoped in on slim all is good. She's inside for the night.
Thanks very much. Building a fire and setting off/watching fireworks. Seeya Thursday.
2014-07-02 8:48 AM
Fed slim this morning had a snuggle she's outside.
Then on Friday, SG phoned, first thing in the morning. An hour had passed and Slim had not returned. I told her this happened once or twice a season, still, and she shouldn't worry yet. She had to get to work, but would return at lunch. At my wife's suggestion, she put some food on the back porch.
Nervously, she asked, "She didn't go out to Oxford, did she? The busy intersection?"
"I've never seen her go that far." She was, indeed, a wanderer, but I've never seen her that far down our street. She arrived incredibly streetwise, one year old, perhaps, but knowing to avoid skunks (On more than one occasion I have watched her wait until one left the yard before she approached our door) and she has always been very cautious around cars. The results of a good cat-mother, perhaps, raising her, where? Behind the grocery store? And we've been away before, leaving her in the care of close friends. In summers, she spent precious little time indoors in any case.
2014-07-04 1:35 PM
Went over lunch still nothing I will go again after work.
Sorry to hear. Keep me posted. She may have returned, ate porch food and wandered off.
I really hope so.
2014-07-04 4:57 PM
Stopped in after work. No slim yet. Food and water are still here.
Text if something happens. We’re going to come in, but we'll turn back if you find her before you leave.
Okay
We arrived in town a short time later and she finally told me about the unidentifiable cat killed on Oxford. The body was gone now. She had phoned the city dispatcher. They had cleaned a body, torn to pieces from a vehicular collision, of an orange cat.
Was she chasing a mouse down the curb? I've only witnessed her cross a street recklessly twice: once when a loose German Shepherd went after her, and once when she saw a rabbit. What took her so far away from her usual haunts?
On Friday evening Pyro, a cat with whom she shared territory, came out to see when I whistled for her. He snuffed around our yard and around the neighbours' porch where they used to hang out. He seeks her. He remembers his adopted sister.
SG hung out for awhile. Then she went home and my wife and I, carrying our probable bad news, returned to the cottage.
2014-07-05 8:35 AM
Good morning. I assume there is no news.
Morning. No theres no one there I went over an hour and a half ago.
Thanks.
The city had given us the name of the company that had taken that body—this job is contracted to various individuals. We arrived at their rural lot; they keep the animals for a couple of days before disposing of them. They warned us not to look inside the bag. That hadn't been our intention. We wanted closure, and we'd implanted an identification chip which the vet could read. We knew for certain this way; the remains belonged to Slim.
The rain washes from the road the stain that she likely made when the vehicle struck her in the night. Worse things are happening in the world, I concede, freely. But I will miss that cat forever.
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