Posted on 03/14/2016 11:03:11 AM PDT by CottonBall
My sweet little Cashmere passed away today.
She was only 9 1/2 years old. She had quit eating starting Friday so by Sunday I was panicking and took her to the emergency vet. She had lost quite a bit of weight already, due to polycystic kidney disease. The vet said we could only get maybe another couple weeks with her with treatment at the clinic, so we decided to end her suffering.
She has about the sweetest cat I've ever had. Cautious, shy, the undercat among her brother and sister. I always had to protect her and make sure she got her fair share of food, toys, catnip, etc.
She was quietly playful - I'd catch her playing with string the string from window blinds or a piece of paper on the floor. When she was un 'friendly mode', she'd purr loudly, rub against you while twirling round and round, finally settling down to knead while purring her head off.
She was the only cat I could trust to take outside at our cabin in the Sierras, since she'd always stay by me and would follow me when I called her. She'd get nervous after an hour outside and stand by the front door, waiting to be let in. But she'd chase bugs and play while outside - while I snapped pictures of her. She was very photogenic!
I apologize for all the pictures! My little girl took good pictures (of course, all pet parents think the same thing!). Her brother and sister weren't nearly as photogenic, though. These pictures represent my memories of her so I wanted to share them, plus post a memorial to her. I did try to keep them small!
Her sister, Cotton, and brother, Corduroy, will miss her terribly. The 3 have been together for 9 1/2 years and don't know what it's like to be apart. Like any siblings, they had their tiffs, with little Cashmere in the losing end most of the time. So when they'd get along and sleep, play, or watch birds together, I'd be happy for Cashmere.
Actually, it made me even sadder ;(
But I loved the part about being in the present.
{ “I carried so much guilt and shame. I started engaging in the “What If” game.}
I’ve been doing that! Plus been feeling guilty about all the times I Didn’t play with her, do things for her, when I was taking the time for other things, wheh just 5 mintues of playing with a string would’ve meant so much to her!
So, if I’ve learned anything - it is to be in the moment with the others. Give them my time and attention, in between all the things I need to do. With 4 cats and a dog, it’s hard but I will do better!
I am so sorry.
We have more than a few little ash boxes around here.
If you got anything out of it, then you have learned something important. However, guilt is pointless. It is beating yourself up for no gain. Your Cashmere would not want you to be sad. Your Cashmere will be waiting for you and wants you to be happy until then.
Oh, and if you MUST guilt yourself, please offset that with the fact you gave her an amazing life filled with love. Not all animals are so lucky, there are 4 ferals in my complex that would have killed to be her.
What gorgeous pets! I can see why you would miss her. So beautiful and, indeed, telegenic. I could look at these photos all day long. If you have more, please put them up. Anyway, I’m very sorry for your loss!
Could you tell us a little about her breed and how you acquired an entire family of beautiful cats?
What a pretty little cat. I am so sorry for your loss. It’s always tough to lose a beloved dog or cat.
I’m sorry for your loss. She was just beautiful and her sweet disposition comes through in the photos.
Thanks Laz. You are right. BTW, can I send you some money to feel the ferals? Or fix them?
I dunno about all that. I try not to take money off the forum.
Tell ya what: Make it up to me. Go find a feral kitten and adopt it. :)
I am so sorry. I’ve been there more than once - it’s a bad day.
What a sweet child. All the pictures are beautiful. Thank you for posting them.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and Cashmere. God bless.
Know too well how it tears you up losing her. She knows she was loved.
What a little beauty. Sorry you lost your little girl cat. Losing a furbaby is always so hard.
I am so sorry. Your pictures are incredible. Cashmere was photogenic indeed. You could post 50 pictures, and I would enjoy them all. Your property looks so very nice.
“And you had three siblings? Well, if they looked like her, I could see taking three, too.”
Well, that was a story. We went to ‘just look’ at the kittens. Right. You know how that goes. Took 2 home! Actually, I had forgotten - Cashmere (B2) was spoken for, but I made such a good case (how we’d take good care of her, I’d be home with her, etc - the other person wanting her worked all day) that we got her and Cotton. Roy came later, after the lady that had the kittens decided Roy wasn’t going to be ‘show quality’. Something about his eye color, I think. We couldn’t care less - he was so loving and purring and sweet, we wanted his personality.
So ‘just looking’ ended up with 3 cats!
Miss M - you asked for it, remember! I have tons of pics and will be posting them, but probably not until tomorrow. It takes me a while to transfer/upload/figure out what I’m doing wrong with the html, etc. Anyway, this is the story of how we got 3. My husband worked with a guy that had silver Persians (that’s the breed). he thought they were the prettiest cats ever, so when he saw some in the paper - we went to ‘look’. this made 7, because I already had 4 ferals that home that I adopted. We were nuts, I know!
But I worry about ‘your’ ferals too ;)
I am going to adopt a black kitten when they are old enough. Went to buy a dining table off of craigslist and the lady was a rescuer! she had old, blind dogs, mamma cats, etc. All over the house. She had a litter of kittens that will needs homes in a few weeks, so I will be going back. I made double for the table to help her out. She was a wonderful, kind person.
ok, I’ll post more ;)
The outside pics were in a meadow in the sierras. We’ve since escaped Mexifornia, but most of my pictures of her outside were in that meadow.
She was the only cat of the 3 to catch a mouse! she caught it and then came prancing up to me with it in her mouth. She meowed to tell me something, and dropped it! She spent the next few hours trying ot find it again. Probably the greatest moment of her life!
She had the cutest little prance. Different than any other cat I’ve seen. I wish I had videotaped it...
Thank you for the backstory! Silver Persian. I promised my husband not to get another cat but if I could find one as sweet and gorgeous as Cashmere...!
Please, if you do post more photos, let me know. And again, I’m so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful woodland sprite you had there!
My sincere condolences. I have one that just turned 22 and I am not looking forward to the day she goes be with her twin sister, who passed away 2 years ago.
CC
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