"I Ripped Your Heart Out From Your Chest....

...Replaced It With A Grenade Blast. (Sonic Youth - Incinerate)

A bit dramatic?, not really.

Friday the 30th of September is indeed going to go down as a very black day in our house.

Our oldest cat, Georgia, had not long turned 181/2, when she started to get very poorly. She had a heart arrhythmia and Hyperthyroidism but with the help of Nola, out vet, we were managing both conditions with a daily dose of pills galore. Never having accepted a pill willingly in her life we managed to put them in her food quite successfully (most days!) and her symptoms seemed to be levelling out when we went for follow-up appointments.

We nearly lost her a few months ago when things took a turn for the worst and Nola told us to be prepared for the worst, but with the help of her pills and extra vigilance from us we managed to get a two month pass from the vet who seemed quite happy to let her have some respite from the really stressful car journey and the intrusive tests she had to go through every time we went.

The last two months at home started out really well, she was eating and taking all her pills okay, she even seemed to have a little more energy, but sadly things started going down hill quite quickly. I noticed that her fur was beginning to get all tangled up and the fur on her back nearly started to look like Rastafarian hair! Her energy levels dropped quite quickly, she spent all day sleeping and then all night too, something she never ever did (nighttime was fussy time, whether you were tired or not!).

She stopped eating for the last few days and so stopped taking her pills too but the saddest thing was that she went blind. She couldn't even manage to jump up onto our bed and took to sleeping next to the wall in the corridor outside our bedroom (which had become her whole world virtually!). We knew we had an appointment with the vet on Friday but on Thursday evening as we were getting ready for bed, I said to Jo that I thought the time had come. She knew what I meant and after convincing me we were doing the right thing for George and anything else would be selfish on our part, we took her to the vet's knowing this would be her final journey.

So let me tell you about her. She was the most gentle and loving cat I have ever come across. She had a filthy temper on her, if she had finished letting you fuss her then she only knew one way of making it stop - claws and teeth to the ready and a full on attack of your hand. Of course we learnt the signs and so didn't have too many more attacks to worry about. She would attack anyone who went to fuss her if she wasn't in the mood and so (thanks to her mum and dad!!) gained quite a negative reputation as a bit of a nutter! She was actually the total opposite when she had you one-on-one, she loved nothing better than to sit, tight as she could get, next to you and then roll over and let you tickle her tummy for ages. She loved you to rub her ears, the more aggressive the better as far as she was concerned, this fuss would last for hours if you didn't end up getting a cramp!

She had the most beautiful face and her fur was so soft, especially the fur on her ears which I really loved stroking, they were like little silky triangles. She was also unusual in that she didn't mind you kissing her. We have another two cats who flatly refuse the kiss!, you have to surprise them in order for them to allow you a kiss on the head and even then, Willow will still run like her bum is on fire even after you kiss her, so determined is she that you will not get a follow-up kiss!!

Georgia was a beautiful spirit who will be missed every day for the rest of our lives. She was a massive part of our little family, some people will probably think we're like those childless couples who substitute cats for kids. Well not us.

She died in my arms, having her last fuss she slipped away without a problem, taking a massive piece of both of our hearts with her. Things at home will never be the same again, the whole house feels like there is something missing.

On a final note, just to round the day off in all it's fullest glory and to make sure I knew things were less than a little on the dark side, I received a letter from the WWF (not the wrestling!) who I have an adopted Tiger with (thanks to my wonderful wife), called Kamrita. The letter was informing me that the WWF thought she had passed away in the wild. They thought this because Kamrita was well tagged and monitored and she had literally dropped off the face of the earth. She was twelve years old, which is apparently a good age for a wild tiger and she had given birth to at least five cubs during her lifetime. She lived in the Khata corridor, a narrow strip of forest between Bardia National Park in Nepal and Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in India and while I only knew her through the pictures I received, reading that letter felt like a right kick in the guts. I lost two beautiful animals on the same day and today finally feels okay to talk about either of them.

They gave me so much pleasure during their lifetimes and while Kamrita probably didn't get it, I know Georgia knew she was special to us.

So goodbye and goodnight Georgia L-B and Kamrita,

always with us,

Andy

x o x o

I would also like to send a very special Thank You to everyone at Whitegate's Veterinary Surgery, Washingborough, Lincs. They did a stellar job of looking after both Georgia and us every time we went and they were always very friendly and welcoming, not like our previous vet's which was very clinical and all about the Benjamins.