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The vet called me this morning just as I was walking up the sidewalk to go in to my office and told me that when they came in this morning and checked on Gremlin, he had passed away at some point during the night. He was in a comfortable position and didn't look at all distressed, so Dr. Ricky is fairly sure he went peacefully.
What hurts so much is that he went alone.
( What the vet said )
But now I have my memories. [Note: This is mostly therapeutic for me. Now would be the time to skip if you want to avoid a lot of maudlin stuff.]
Tiny little newborn kitten with his eyes and ears pinched tightly shut hissing and spitting as only a kitten can....
4-week old kitten boldly going out of the box where he and his mother and three siblings lived and looking around completely unafraid. Spokeskitten of the entire litter.
The look of relief on a tiny, furry face as the flea medicine started to work and the dozens of fleas infesting his tiny body started to die or leave.
The look on Stacy's face (Stacy was my next-door-neighbor who took Gremlin's mother and all four kittens in just after they were born) when she told me she needed a home for the last kitten, because the guy she'd lined up fell through, and how I said yes mostly because she asked me.
The feel of that tiny little guy in my hand. His whole body fit in my hand.
Him lying flat on his back asleep in my lap, all four pink paws up, in an attitude of complete trust, occasionally kneading the air or making little sucking noises as he "dreamed."
Waking up to find a kitten nursing on my earlobe, kneading my face with his little paws, and purring as he 'nursed.'
Playing 'elevator.' ( Read more... )
How he stayed within 3 feet of me at all times for the first few weeks of our lives together.
How he made his 'first kill.'( Read more... )
The first time he visited my mother's house and realized that he was a cat. ( Read more... )
The night he saw "another cat" in the dark sliding glass door and attacked his own reflection.
The day he leaped off the balcony. ( Read more... )
Gremlin's first Christmas. ( Read more... )
"Gremlin's Big Adventure." ( Read more... )
How he taught me to fetch. ( Read more... )
Gremlin's nervous tic. ( Read more... )
Gremlin's first dog. ( Read more... )
How he loved to sit and look out my glass doors at the birds, chipmunks and squirrels. He always made little "coughing" or "chittering" noises at them. ( Read more... )
The day he slapped my friend JP right in the face (JP forgave him because he WAS invading Gremlin's personal comfort zone).
Gremlin playing in the only snow he ever saw. ( Read more... )
Gremlin tried to steal the turkey out of Yvonne's sandwich. ( Read more... )
Pretty much any party or gathering of any type at my first house was punctuated by having Gremlin jump up onto the table while everyone was eating. He'd try to find someone who wasn't paying close attention and steal something off their plate. Preferably a chunk of turkey the size of his head.
The time he duped my friend into giving him more food. ( Read more... )
And of course, the general memories. Being at the computer and knowing that Gremlin was in the room, somewhere. In my lap, on the keyboard, or lying near my feet asleep. He tried so hard to always be near me. He'd even go against millions of years of nocturnal instincts to be awake whenever I was. Every time I'd sit in the recliner, he'd be there, in my lap, purring and making me pet him. Lying on the bed at night, especially in the winter, and feeling a little lump on the bed that I knew was him, keeping warm on the electric blanket or just making sure he was near me.
Oh, God, I'm going to miss him so much. All the good times I related here plus many, many others keep flooding back, and I smile as I remember, then I hurt because I know I'll never hold him again. So I'll say goodbye to him, here.
Goodbye, buddy. I'm so sorry I wasn't there at the end, but you know I loved you and I know you loved me. I'll miss you for the rest of my life, and I doubt any pet will ever hold as special a place in my heart as you. Thanks. For everything.
[And thanks to my excellent friend![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
craftsman for taking charge and driving me to the vet to talk to them in person. It meant a lot to me.]
What hurts so much is that he went alone.
( What the vet said )
But now I have my memories. [Note: This is mostly therapeutic for me. Now would be the time to skip if you want to avoid a lot of maudlin stuff.]
Tiny little newborn kitten with his eyes and ears pinched tightly shut hissing and spitting as only a kitten can....
4-week old kitten boldly going out of the box where he and his mother and three siblings lived and looking around completely unafraid. Spokeskitten of the entire litter.
The look of relief on a tiny, furry face as the flea medicine started to work and the dozens of fleas infesting his tiny body started to die or leave.
The look on Stacy's face (Stacy was my next-door-neighbor who took Gremlin's mother and all four kittens in just after they were born) when she told me she needed a home for the last kitten, because the guy she'd lined up fell through, and how I said yes mostly because she asked me.
The feel of that tiny little guy in my hand. His whole body fit in my hand.
Him lying flat on his back asleep in my lap, all four pink paws up, in an attitude of complete trust, occasionally kneading the air or making little sucking noises as he "dreamed."
Waking up to find a kitten nursing on my earlobe, kneading my face with his little paws, and purring as he 'nursed.'
Playing 'elevator.' ( Read more... )
How he stayed within 3 feet of me at all times for the first few weeks of our lives together.
How he made his 'first kill.'( Read more... )
The first time he visited my mother's house and realized that he was a cat. ( Read more... )
The night he saw "another cat" in the dark sliding glass door and attacked his own reflection.
The day he leaped off the balcony. ( Read more... )
Gremlin's first Christmas. ( Read more... )
"Gremlin's Big Adventure." ( Read more... )
How he taught me to fetch. ( Read more... )
Gremlin's nervous tic. ( Read more... )
Gremlin's first dog. ( Read more... )
How he loved to sit and look out my glass doors at the birds, chipmunks and squirrels. He always made little "coughing" or "chittering" noises at them. ( Read more... )
The day he slapped my friend JP right in the face (JP forgave him because he WAS invading Gremlin's personal comfort zone).
Gremlin playing in the only snow he ever saw. ( Read more... )
Gremlin tried to steal the turkey out of Yvonne's sandwich. ( Read more... )
Pretty much any party or gathering of any type at my first house was punctuated by having Gremlin jump up onto the table while everyone was eating. He'd try to find someone who wasn't paying close attention and steal something off their plate. Preferably a chunk of turkey the size of his head.
The time he duped my friend into giving him more food. ( Read more... )
And of course, the general memories. Being at the computer and knowing that Gremlin was in the room, somewhere. In my lap, on the keyboard, or lying near my feet asleep. He tried so hard to always be near me. He'd even go against millions of years of nocturnal instincts to be awake whenever I was. Every time I'd sit in the recliner, he'd be there, in my lap, purring and making me pet him. Lying on the bed at night, especially in the winter, and feeling a little lump on the bed that I knew was him, keeping warm on the electric blanket or just making sure he was near me.
Oh, God, I'm going to miss him so much. All the good times I related here plus many, many others keep flooding back, and I smile as I remember, then I hurt because I know I'll never hold him again. So I'll say goodbye to him, here.
Goodbye, buddy. I'm so sorry I wasn't there at the end, but you know I loved you and I know you loved me. I'll miss you for the rest of my life, and I doubt any pet will ever hold as special a place in my heart as you. Thanks. For everything.
[And thanks to my excellent friend
craftsman for taking charge and driving me to the vet to talk to them in person. It meant a lot to me.]Tags: