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Wednesday, April 17th, 2019 04:42 pm
I'm going to outlive this cat. I know it, I knew it, but now it's actually becoming obvious, his health is failing.

I haven't done the no no no tantrum often in my life, certainly it did no good for me to do so as a child...

Have you ever wanted to tackle the Reaper and drag it away from someone you love? Tangle it up in Its own robes, confuse and confound it?

How am I supposed to do this. How do I let, or help him, go across the rainbow bridge?
Wednesday, April 17th, 2019 11:51 pm (UTC)
Damn, I'm sorry. :( :( :(
Wednesday, April 17th, 2019 11:57 pm (UTC)
;(
Thursday, April 18th, 2019 04:12 am (UTC)
Sorry for answering what might have been a rhetorical question...

When my Bert died, I cried for hours, and the bulk of it was gratitude. I had so much to thank him for, so much I hadn't thanked him for. When he was dying, I told him: He was the best cat ever. He was so good. I loved him so much.

What overcame me was not the loss, precisely, but realizing I could never, would never, make sure he felt all the love I felt for him. When someone is living, you have hope that your relationship will somehow communicate this between you. When they die, you've run out of chances; you just have to hope that what you've done is enough. And you can let them go, because they don't owe a debt to you; they don't have to keep trying, because they've accomplished what they need to. If you don't feel loved enough--if their death would leave you vitally lacking love or things to love--you need to expand your support network, so they can stop holding on by a thread.

Since seeing Bohemian Rhapsody, I've been comforted to an absurd degree by the Tweet that says, "Freddie Mercury is in heaven looking after every cat that has passed away so just know if your cat died they're with Freddie now." Because the idea of him being with an immortal-feeling, very present cultural icon who loved cats so fucking much helps me feel less jagged and dislocated from him.

I also spent the first few months with Bert's registration tag (which he never wore, but it was his) hanging on the mirror next to my door; I touched it every time I came in and went out, because it ached less to acknowledge him in a frequent, predictable way.
Saturday, April 20th, 2019 10:12 pm (UTC)
I'm sorry about this. On the day you posted this I had to call and make an afternoon appointment to put my Pixel girl on the rainbow bridge myself. I had taken her in Monday because over the weekend she'd developed a rather severe respiratory infection. After she was given a breathing treatment and brought home she refused to eat or drink.

I held her as long as she'd let me, and kissed her and told her she'd been the best cat I'd ever had.

When we went in, the vet agreed and I got to hold her, and kiss her and be there with her as she started on the path to the bridge.

I'm still a ball of raw emotion and I'm sorry that anyone has to feel this deep of a loss. I threw the no no tantrum Sunday night, Monday, Tuesday, and even as I held her as she died. I know that it was actually kinder than keeping her around as sick as she was. I still have that part of the brain that refuses to believe I told her "I release you" when all I wanted to do was keep her.