Andy passed away all of a sudden

Hungary
September 11, 2010 9:12am CST
This story is about my neighbour's cat. He was a tom-cat, called Andy. He was well-known in the street as he used to march into the neighbours's yards claiming for food and attention. My first encounter with him took place at a hot night in July. All the windows were open when nobody could sleep because of the heatwave. I was standing in the middle of the room while my beloved dog gasping for fresh air was having her rest at the foot of my bed. She was already very sick then, waging a lost war against toumors eating up her body. Suddenly a black cat appeared at my feet in the middle of the room - as if blown into the house by the draft. He did not say a thing just looked at me with his big green eyes. As my dog - once a big cat hunter - did not move, I quickly helped him to some left-over and he quitted through the window as quickly as he came. In the next two weeks my beloved dog passed away. Little by little I removed and packed away her belongings, like her leash and collar, flee shampoo, etc., and have just left her cushion in her armchair. It's difficult to speak about it and my story is about Andy the cat. In the meantime I talked to the cat's master who was well aware of Andy's nature of a prowler. Andy came in my house through the window again a week after the death of my beloved dog. He did not go into the room where my dog passed away; just stayed in the kitchen and in the little room opening to the backyard through the window of which he could jump in. So I spoke to him and gave some food to eat. He ate and went off. His calls became more regular. As his master was aware of it, I did not bother to receive and feed him whenever he came in through the open window. (Once I was amused of him, because when I opened the front door to him, he turned back and jumped out of the window. Certainly he did not know what were front doors good for.) Gradually I got used to his popping up from nowhere just at my feet. I served him with some food and left him to fumble around a bit. I remember a sunny Saturday afternoon when he stayed in the backyard little room having a sweet nap after a substantial meal while the Sun was warming his little body and fur. Last he came in though the window on Wednesday morning. I had to accompany my mother to her medical check-ups and I had a day-off from work. He had appeared half an hour before I had to leave. I tried to send him out through the window but he did not want to. He looked at me as if asking for permission to jump up on my bed and I bowed okay. As I was in a hurry I closed the door on him and dashed off. When I got home early in the afternoon he was still perching in the corner of my bed. It was a gloomy day and started to rain in the afternoon and it rained on end until next morning. Andy was perching in the corner of my bed for long. Admittedly, I did not hear him pur, even so I invited him to eat and drink water several times. In vain, of course. Later at night he jumped off my bed and hid behind the door where he hardly moved until next morning. Next morning as he did not move his head or looked at me, I put him on the doorstep to give him a thorough look in the sun. Then I rushed to the neighbours to call his masters. They were at work, of course. Then I rushed to the vet in our street asking for the telephone number of a free animal health care service. When I related my story, she picked up her cat basket and ran to Andy to collect him in the street. I got a phone call late in the afternoon from Andy's master that Andy passed away. Yes, I am guilty as charged. I should have alerted his masters even Wednesday night when he did not move or eat. I could not make a distinction between a cat dozing and a cat being terminally ill. You see, loving animals sometimes is not enough to do your upmost for them.
1 response
@chulce (1537)
• United States
11 Sep 10
That is such a touching story. I am sorry about you loosing your beloved dog, I am sure she was a part of your life and still is. The ones that were once a part of our lives still are to this day and I feel their presence with me all the time. We had a tom-cat that touched our lives last year. He was an older gentleman that lived under our coffee shop. As the weather grew colder, we took him into our home and gave him a place to sleep, he and one of our sons grew very fond of each other and took care of each other. We noticed he was starting to feel bad, same thing wouldn't eat and such, I took him to the vet, they found that he was having trouble going to the bathroom and kept him for a day to see if they could help him. The next day we were able to bring him home however, he still wasn't himself. A few days later, he was worse again, we were told by the vet that he was approximately 15 years or older and that he had been living outside for quite a while. We went out to do a family day with our children, upon our return, we found him gone, he fell asleep in his little bed. We all cried and felt the loss of him dearly, we took his body to the vet where they had him cremated and his ashes placed in an urn for us. He is still a part of our family and will always be so. It is very hard at times to tell when pets are ill and it is important to try and get them help as soon as we can. They are all dear creatures and should be treated with a special touch. You have that special touch and I hope that you will once again find a special friend to have in your life to share it with. Thank you for sharing your story.
• Hungary
13 Sep 10
Dear Chulce, Thank you very much for your words of consolation. I am planning to adopt a kitten and a puppy when I will be permanently at home, i.e. when I will be retired and not go away working 8 hours a week any more. Until then I just take my vicarious pleasure in watching Animal Planet and various films on animal rescues. One thing is for sure, I want to do even more for animals then before. You know, when two animal friends pass away within such a short delay one is grateful for all the things she could do and regret even more those things she failed to do.