Not too many friends have been with me since my first apartment, through college, marriage, 8 moves – 4 different cities in 2 different countries – and 2 kids. Few have kept up with all the changes in my life, and stood by me through all of them.
Daisy, my cat, is one of those few. For over a decade, my faithful, fat fur ball has been by my side (although she did occasionally stay with others for awhile!) Tomorrow, we say good-bye to our fifth family member.
I rescued Daisy, then named Kika, from a shelter in my second year of college. My roommate was somewhat frustrated that I brought her home without consulting him, but he got over it. She was somewhere between 1 and 2 years old – they didn’t know for sure – and healthy, just lonely. Her new name came from the band, Trippy Daisy, who’s song “I Got a Girl” was something I sang to her when I danced her around our little apartment.
She’s been through a lot since then, and with nary a visit to a vet since her first year with me. Now she has diabetes – not a big surprise given her weight and lack of activity lately – and at 13+ years old, we’re not going to start the expensive treatments to keep it at bay. The kids will miss trying to ride her around the house (which she tolerated with good humor and patience), Nicole will miss her little bed warmer when I’m away for work (although Daisy never quite forgave Nic for moving in and taking over the other half of my bed!), and I’ll miss my old friend. But her constant urination is becoming unmanageable and although she’s enjoying the extra love she’s been getting for the past couple days, she’s obviously ready to go.
Good-bye Daisy, you were fat, lazy, occasionally smelly and frequently whiny, but we’ll miss you!
So sorry. I’ve had (and had to say goodbye to) many feline family members over the years and it’s never easy. Remember the good times (like dancing around the room) and believe me, the kids will remember too.