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Saturday, January 28, 2017

Tiger


We had to say goodbye to our sweet Tiger this past Wednesday.
After a week of trying everything possible, it was 
obvious that it was time for him to go.

Tiger was one of four in that first litter that was born here
from a feral mama.  That litter came at a dark time for me
and I always considered it a gift....a bright, pleasant distraction
from all the sadness and stress going on in my life.

And he wasn't just a pleasant cat.  He was exceptional.
He will always be remembered for bringing less fortunate cats
home with him, as if he sought out needy ones and said,
"Come home with me.  Betsy will take good care of you."
Cocoa and Slate were brought here that way.
They have Tiger to thank for the good lives they have now.

He was a chatty guy, too.  His voice was clear like a bell
and he'd have a conversation with you, listening as you talked
and answering back and forth for as long as you wanted.  Our girl
cats were smitten with him.  And he was smitten with The Mister,
greeting him every night and following him around the house. 

Our hearts are broken.
He will always be missed.

I'll be back in a few days, when I've found my smile again.

♥ 

75 comments:

  1. Poor guy, never easy when any of them pass away
    Especially when a great one does at your bay
    But he sure had years of comfort and fun
    As you gave him a great home to go around and run

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  2. What a terrible shame. He was an adorable little fella. :( Thankfully, he had a home with plenty of love.

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  3. I'm so sorry to hear about Tiger, Betsy. You gave him a happy life in the time that he was with you. Our pets become such a big part of our lives and leave a big void when they are gone. Sending you hugs and comfort in this sad time. ❤

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    1. Oh, I know...and I feel so responsible for them. Ugh. :(

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  4. You will find your smile again, but for now the grief is here. What a blessing these pets are...a gift, aren't they? And look how other kitties were blesssed buy the two of you. A hug to you from this animal lover in Wisconsin.

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    1. I am getting better. I've only cried like 20 times today. lol....and I was actually able to look through photos of him. It will come....

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  5. Ooh, sweet Tiger :(
    I had an idea, since your posts went quiet. Too afraid to ask, because I feared the bad news.
    He was a beautiful boy, whom we loved like our own, getting to know him through your pictures and words.
    RIP sweet Tiger, you were loved beyond words.
    So sorry to you and the family Betsy.
    {Hugs},
    ~Jo

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    1. Thanks, Jo. I feel so horrible...responsible and guilty....and asking a lot of questions like why oh why did I take that (now) obviously terrible advise. Really having a hard time with this....

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  6. Betsy, I am so sorry for your loss. What a darling cat he was. I don't know how old he was but they are never with us long enough. My heart goes out to you as I know you are brokenhearted. Sending a hug. xo

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  7. I am very sorry to hear the news, poor Tiger. I feel so sad for you. I know you are very upset, I would give you a hug if I could.

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    1. Thanks, Keith. :) How long are your arms?

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    2. Certainly not 3,500 miles long! You take care of yourself.

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  8. A very sad loss and certainly brought a tear to my eye . . . hugs . . :)

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  9. I was so afraid of that, after not seeing anything from you for a couple of days. I'm, also, so sorry for your loss! Hugs and prayers!

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  10. So sad for your loss, Betsy. I went back and saw your first photos of Tiger... he was such an adorable kitten, and he grew up to be quite the cat. Hope you can find some comfort in knowing that you done good for each other. My thoughts are with you.

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    1. He was adorable, wasn't he? He was just an all around wonderful cat.

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  11. I am so very, very sorry, Betsy. Prayers for your comfort and peace. blessings ~ tanna

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  12. Aww...im so sorry. Thank you for sharing the pictures with all of us. Comforting thoughts and prayers sent your way. ❤

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    1. Thanks, doo....I did enjoy looking back at the his pictures. What a sweet kitty he was.

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  13. dear Betsy, I am so very sorry. Having to help 3 cats and 2 golden retrievers pass to the other side in 21 months my heart knows how much you hurt. Through tears I want to say how very sorry I am for your loss. I am so glad Tiger found you and had a good life there. You opened your heart to take the love you got in helping and the sadness that inevitably comes with the losing. It came too soon for this sweet kitty. Sending you a big hug from here.

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    1. Oh, I'm so sorry....I think that would be too much for me to take, really. :(

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  14. Hope you can find your smile among the memories.

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  15. Oh Betsy - I am so sorry. Having lost pets in the past, I know how much it hurts. They are part of the family. You were a blessing to Tiger and he had a good life with you.

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    1. Yes, sooo hard. I feel like I let hi down. :(

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    2. No - you did not let him down. He had a wonderful home with you and you did all you could for him in the end.

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  16. I am so very sorry, dear Betsy. Wish my arms were long, too!
    My heart hurts for your heart. I know how much you adore your kitties and they are so loved and cared for under your welcoming roof.
    I know it's easier said than done, but please don't be hard on yourself re the bad advice you were given. You trusted the professional, and why wouldn't you?
    I pray for you and the other kitties. Thank you for sharing photos of Tiger. What a gorgeous kitten, he was. And that leap into the air? Wow.
    The fact that he rescued other kitties really touches me. What a sweetie. Much love to you. xxoo

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    1. Oh, I know...what wouldn't I....but it doesn't seem to be making it any easier.

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    2. Yes. Absolutely. Thinking of you and hugging you through your tears.
      Looking at the photos again... such a handsome boy.

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    3. "why wouldn't I" was what that was supposed to say...but I think you figured it out. :)
      And thanks for your card, Suzie. I balled my eyes out over it...haha...but loved it just the same. :)

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  17. So sorry! Tiger had such beautiful eyes. I know you will miss him ��

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  18. Dear Betsy - how very sad ... but you've posted some wonderful photos of him for us to share. Interesting history you've given him ... wonderful to know they care too ... with thoughts to you all this weekend - cheers Hilary

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    1. Yeah, he really was a caring cat. It was obvious he cared about the homeless kitties. So cute.

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  19. I am so sorry for sweet Tiger. And of course for you and for your loss...I had to cry reading your loving description of this special cat. And these words made clear, that Tiger had a really good life, may it have been way to short sadly! And oh yes, they all have distinctive personalities, they leave their tender traces in our hearts and souls and it is hard to let them go and they always leave a bitter-sweet mixture of sweet memories and sadness...the price of loving, but worth it a thousand times...

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    1. yes, so true...they are all unique and wonderfully distinct. Each of ours has a different personality and different sounding voice. I know who it is just by hearing them!

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  20. And oh dear Betsy, what a beauty Tiger was! There is a famous German poem which starts " Even beauty must perish..." Hard to accept sometimes...Thank you for sharing these precious pictures of this extremely handsome lad...

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    1. I've always had a soft spot for gray striped cats. My first little feral I adored was one. I didn't really own him but he hung around our first apartment and I loved that little thing! When we built our house 30 years ago I immediately wanted a cat of my own and got a grey striped one. His name was Alex. Tiger was so handsome...his eyes were amazing....

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  21. Oh, I'm SO very sorry! Pets do become part of our family. What a beautiful pictorial compilation you put together of his life.

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  22. I'm so sorry Betsy. I understand. ♥

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  23. Im so sorry Betsy, I remember well him, A lovely cat.
    Last year I lost my Mouska , was terrible.Still I miss her :(

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  24. So sorry Betsy, he was a beautiful boy. Thinking of you and feeling your loss here too.
    Hugs, Pat

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  25. I am so sorry for y Ur loss Betsy. Tiger was a beautiful cat! It is always difficult to say good bye but I find it especially difficult when the furry friend has been there with you and for you during difficult times. Because of their presence we were able to deal with whatever difficult situation there was bit easier and that creates a bound that is much more deep, I find. I had this experience with our Timi. I am thinking of you and your husband. It is ok to grief! What helped me finally to stop crying uncontrollably (after a few months, sigh ... it was really bad for me) was a wise man saying that our dear furry friends deserve to be remembered in joy for they were giving us lots of it. And surely they would want us to be smiling and while remembering them to have this good feeling of the love and joy we had together. Big hugs! Jitka ps: I love the picture of Tiger climbing the window :-)

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    1. Oh, poor you and your Timi! :( I can see you can totally relate. I am inconsolable still at this point! I get control of myself and then start all over again. I do agree with the man and what he said. Tiger would want me to be happy and have happy memories. I will get there eventually. Right now I just feel so responsible and think how senseless this all was. He was far too young and it was preventable. I'm just sick about it. Then The Mister and I went back and forth about whether to let him die naturally at home or to take him to the vet. He didn't think it fair to stress him further and have him die at the vet where he was scared in his last minutes. I didn't want to see him suffer any longer and prayed he'd just drift off to heaven in his sleep but after so many days I felt he had suffered enough. It's always a debatable decision. So, I took him, but it really doesn't make it easy on me....such a gut wrenching thing.

      One sweet thing. Wednesday morning when I woke up and realized he hadn't died on his own and I had to take him to the vet, I was sobbing uncontrollably. Star was so concerned. She'd never seen me like that. It was the sweetest thing seeing her try to console me. She talked to me and nuzzled my neck. It truly was so sweet.

      Yes, I love that picture of Tiger. He's climbing up a screen door. haha. He was still a kitten there....and I hadn't let any of them in the house yet, since I hadn't planned on keeping them! Of course, I ended up not being able to give any of them away. :)

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  26. I was wondering why I hadn't seen much of youđź’ś
    So sorry for your loss...he was a handsome guy for sure...
    Cheers! To Tiger...
    Linda :o(

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    1. You'd think I had enough cats still not to miss him, eh? But no....it still hurts....

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  27. Oh my Dear, I am so sorry for your loss.

    -sigh-

    But when the time comes, it comes. And you were kind to him, to say good bye.

    Gentle hugs,
    Luna Crone

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    1. Thanks, Luna! I know I owe you a few visits...thanks for stopping by. :)

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  28. Betsy, oh yes, I can relate totally. We too faced the euthanasia desicion and it is so hard! it was only when Timi stopped drinking by himself that I knew there was no hope and yet! I still felt guilty about it. Now with the time passed I know it was the right desicion and you will see that later too. It needs time, however there is one tricky feeeling of guilt for me that maybe I could have done something different before to prevent this end, oh the mind!!! I know you and I Know that you have done all the you possibly could and not to let Tiger to suffer was the right thing to do Betsy. I know it is hard to see that now but you eventually will. And the peace will come to you with this realisation. Do take your time, you do not need to pretend to be fine. Furry friends give this unconditional love to us and this is so strong, such a powerful feeling it is totally normal to break down once they are gone. Timi took a piece of my heart with him. And even though I do not think about him all the time and I can even talk about him sometimes with joy (Steve always check if it is ok to talk about him, sweet thing, he was traumatised with his Mom crying like crazy), I still get moment when tears pops up and I go to hide ... but it all gets kind of normal with the time.

    I am happy you have Star and the others to keep you company during this painful time!! What a darling Star is!!!

    Big big hugs, you are in my prayers! JItka

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    1. Yes, it's very hard but having done it both ways with our first two cats, I would choose the euthanasia every time. It doesn't make it any easier, that is for sure, but I think it's for the best. Yes, Tiger had only taken two drinks on his own in a week. The rest of the time I was making him drink from a dropper. It was a hopeless effort and exhausting. It was time for him to go.

      Timi took a piece of your heart with him. Oh yes, I do believe this. And their unconditional love is just the best, isn't it? Having them and getting to experience that is by far the best. Pets just make our lives better!

      And I'm better today. I've only cried once so far..haha...a vast improvement! :)

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  29. Oh how sad. Poor Tiger and poor you. I guess the thing to remember is that he obviously thought you were a good thing. After all, you can't always tell what a cat thinks. But he would not have brought cats in need home to you if he didn't approve.
    My mother used to complain that if she were a dog (we always had dogs not cats) we could take her to the vet and lovingly put her out of her misery. She was dying of cancer and she could no longer eat but there was nothing we could do. At least you can do your very best for a beloved pet and hope they go to a better place.
    You take care of yourself. And smile because you have heating and I don't! My boiler died in the night and you can't get a plumber for love nor money on a Sunday. Brrr.

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    1. Well, yes, that is true. All these cats are free to go and they have stayed. :)
      Your poor mom...yes, that is just the hardest thing, isn't it....watching them die a long death...I hate that. At least with our pets we can make it easier on them.
      Hope you find some warmth today! Don't you hate it when things break on the weekend? Ugh.

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    2. I have a thermal vest and long johns. Plus doing the ironing is keeping me warm.

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  30. I'm so sorry for your loss.
    You have such wonderful memories and great photos of him.

    Sending hugs!

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    1. Thank you...yes, good memories and some funny ones, too!

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  31. I'm sorry for your loss. It's hard to say goodbye. Hugs, Gayle

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  32. So sorry, you did all you could for him. xx

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