A rather difficult last 24 hours.

Yesterday was my Mum’s funeral, followed by a Celebration of her life. All I’ll say about that was a massive thank you to all who contributed in so many different ways.

Today, I lifted the slabs in the centre of the patio, under the table where Chelsea-cat loved to sunbathe, and placed Chelsea’s ashes there.

I’m now done with the immediate processes of loss, and can quietly continue working through the emotions. Legal and suchlike stuff to be dealt with in due course.


Chelsea-cat (sort of) returns

Chelsea-cat’s ashes arrived back here this morning. I’ll wait for a sunny day, then lift the paving slab under the patio table she loved to sunbathe on and scatter them there.

I don’t intend to keep them hanging about – unlike a former flatmate, who had the ashes of both her father and her grandfather under her bed, throughout the several years we shared the flat!

RIP Chelsea cat

I posted this to Facebook last night:

More bad news …
I got home to find that Chelsea-cat has lost the use of her back legs, and lost continence.. Though they’ve been dodgy for a while, she now simply cannot use them. I spoke to the vet nurse, and have arranged a visit tomorrow lunchtime, but the nurse gently said that it may be end-of-life, and I rather think he’s right.
She’s very nearly 17, which is a fair age. She doesn’t seem to be in pain, so much as in severe distress at her inability to move. Despite incontinence, I’ve put her on my lap, which she seems to appreciate.

Today, sadly, I had to write

RIP Chelsea.

My lovely cat Chelsea passed away this lunchtime, lying peacefully on a towel on my lap at home, after an injection from the vet.
Fond memories of eleven years together.

chelsea

Chelsea-cat has been having a bit of a rough time recently. Her back legs have been dodgy since last summer, and not brilliant over the winter (though she still managed to jump onto the kitchen table for food). On Friday night things took a massive turn for the worse, and she couldn’t use her back legs to walk, dragging herself along by her front legs. She recovered gently over Saturday, more so on Sunday and Monday.

Vet-at-Home visit today. It’s possible that her kidneys are failing, and she certainly has bad arthritis, so a relieving injection that lasts for a month has been given (can be repeated if necessary). I have a supply of oral painkiller if she seems to be in severe distress. She’s nearly 17, so it’s basically old-age stuff – I sympathise!

Cost about £180, which I was happy to pay. Chelsea really isn’t up to a cat-basket trip to the surgery even at her best (and I’m not sure that I am, either). Chelsea got an extra lunch for being cooperative!

spring?

Having not set paw outside since well before Christmas, Chelsea-cat has decided it’s now spring! Three times so far today she’s exited through the cat flap. Sadly, she persists in her delusion that it’s a one way device, and that the only way back in is to persuade me to open the French windows …

RIP “the garden cat”

I haven’t seen the ginger “garden cat” for some ten days now. They’ve been very poorly of late, coming in to sleep under the round table for the past six or seven weeks, and losing weight rapidly. I had a fortnight or so of having to put a litter-tray behind my chair, as they weren’t managing to make it outside.

On Monday (11th September) they’d fallen asleep in the litter tray, on top of a pile of poo, and barely had the strength to go out through the French window when I opened it. I haven’t seen them since … a sad end to an animal that had clearly had a rough life, and was terrified of humans (though, four years after I started feeding it regularly, it would allow me within a couple of feet at feeding time). I shall choose to remember it, as a feral creature that came to trust me, and share warm spots in my garden and house.

outdoor cat, garden bits

Three days,ago Chelsea-cat abruptly went into “summer mode”, entering the house only for food, instead of spending her time indoors. Pleasant in the sunshine, but it was down to very nearly freezing last night (+0.5C), which didn’t deter her. It does get a bit worrying when she’s not there when called for breakfast …

Elsewhere in the garden, the warm afternoon has encouraged the red tulips to think about opening. As always, the yellow ones will be about a week later. And later, deceived by the warm afternoon, the Worcester Black Pear started to open its blossoms in the deepening dusk this evening though the forecast has a risk of frost.

 

Ouchies

I have an extremely dodgy knee at the moment, so have spent the day with my legs propped up on the stool and taking regular painkillers (compression bandage due for delivery tomorrow). Chelsea-cat thinks this is great, as it gives her a warm lap to sit on! Me, not quite so impressed, but not feeling capable of out-stubborning her.

cat logic

Chelsea-cat’s theory:
“Avoid cat flap. Ask to be let out through French window. Sit firmly in opening, hoping enough heat will escape the house to make the garden warm enough to venture out.”

Nick’s response … unprintable.

new stool

I bought myself a rather nice antique footstool, which arrived a couple of days ago. However, I can’t use it for its intended purpose, as it was promptly commandeered by Chelsea-cat as the winter replacement for her summertime snoozing spot on the patio table. Still, she’s better there than occupying the back of my chair, which she’s done in previous years.

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