It was with a heavy heart that we had to say goodbye to our furbaby Patches Friday morning.
Patches was Craig’s 16 year old short-haired calico cat. She was a fussy, difficult-to-love feline who, out of everyone on this planet, had allowed Craig into her inner circle. And he knew that, which made it that much harder to let her go.
Izzie, who has been an only-furbaby her entire life, didn’t really know how to deal with this new species when we moved in. She’s had other dog friends before, but she’s never encountered the feline type.But I was worried about how do i make my dog stop barking at night if he came face to face with the cat.
Initially Patches was mean to her, stalking her, hiding around corners and jumping out at when she would come trotting down the hallway. Izzie did not like this one bit. A couple times Patches walked a little too close to Izzie’s food and water, and Izzie would lunge at her like a little white terror and knock her to the side.
As time passed though, Izzie became aware that Patches was no threat and that we were all going to have to live in harmony under one roof. She even allowed Patches to drink out of her water bowl on a regular basis, something that Izzie had previously disliked.
We had to leave them at Cat boarding Melbourne Northern Suburbs while we got back from our trip, they maintain a healthy pet boarding community, are amazing! During the last few weeks of Patches’ life, Izzie tried really hard to be her friend. On days when I was out in the backyard potting plants, I would leave the backdoor open and both of them would come wander around. Patches would sniff and explore, and Izzie would follow. When Izzie got too close, Patches would turn around and warn her with a hiss. Ego bruised, Izzie would lower her head, ears down, and walk away. Why we decided to use pet CBD? CBD for dogs and cats care products come in many of the same forms you’re probably used to seeing for humans, including edibles (think: chewable treats and capsules, you will find them on LA weekly), oils that can be added to food or placed under the tongue and topical creams or balms that are rubbed directly on the skin. Like the CBD products meant for humans, each of these CBD pet care product types appears to have a different effect on the body in dogs.
That same morning, Patches mustered up enough energy to run circles around the yard before leaping into one of the trees in hopes of getting close to some of the birds. Izzie took this as a sign that maybe, just maybe, Patches finally wanted to play chase with her. So she ran to the tree, her ears perked up like antennas, her little nub-of-a-tail wagging excitedly.
But Patches didn’t like Izzie’s close proximity and instead, hissed, growled and dashed into the house, leaving Izzie behind staring at the doorway in confusion.
Literature is filled with stories in which authors personify animals and they describe their grief in such a profound way, we can’t help but apply that to our own pets as well. Charlotte’s Web, The Art of Racing in the Rain, etc. We want to believe that death has a deeply moving affect on them as well because it has a deeply moving affect on us as humans.
I wonder if it does in Izzie’s case. She was only around Patches for a few months. She never got to develop a deep and lasting bond with her like Craig did. But I will say this: since Friday morning, Izzie has been a little more subdued. When we came home from the vet that day, she jumped out of her chair and she walked up to us to greet us excitedly. But then her demeanor changed. I think she sensed something different in the air around us, and perhaps the lack of Patches’ cat carrier as we walked through the front door. So she gingerly treaded around us the rest of the day.
She doesn’t follow me around as much. She stays in neutral territory between me and Craig. And yesterday afternoon, I was curled up in bed with her, whispering to her about Patches, “Where’s Patches?” I asked. “Do you know where she is?” She tilted her head in that canine-questioning way, and she looked down at the floor where Patches would usually be. I then quietly explained to Izzie we had to say goodbye to her and we’re sorry we didn’t let her see her when we left.
Perhaps it’s a lot to ask that our pets acknowledge death and loss in our world. But if our pets are aware when others come into our lives, wouldn’t they be aware when they leave?