Again, I have to slap my own wrists, as I haven't updated my blog in....ooooo.....too long!!!
Well, what has been happening in "them there hills" I hear you ask. Well, much of the same, with a few furry changes!! 2016, was a tough year, and I'll be brief, because we all know how hard it is to lose our furry friends. It breaks your heart, and then some. In February 2016, we lost Gretal, in the most tragic of accidents. Hit by a car on our tiny, quiet, country lane. Very much bittersweet, due to it being an instant affair, which will forever be etched in our hearts and minds, as the shocking incident it was. After the instant shock and disbelief, undoubtedly comes the guilt and bewilderment...how? why? In that instant, our fences were re-erected, and we became Fort Knox. No "cat dog", will be able to find their way onto the lane again - and thankfully, (touch wood), that's the way it has stayed!!! I wandered around in a daze, carrying on with work, but feeling as though my heart had been torn out, missing my shadow and constant friend. It wasn't long (not long at all) before we welcomed Grace into the fold. A beautiful little sausage roll - Oh her breath smelled liked biscuits, and she tamed the searing pain in my heart. Little Gracie Grey!!! Now, she's a totally different kettle of fish to Gretal...lane? lane? What lane? I don't like going on the lane....GOOD GIRL GRACE!!! What an absolute relief - and in true Grace style, she quickly established herself in our hearts, and was never far away. Always trotting alongside me, and never looking for the next adventure, without her Mummy or Daddy in tow!!! A month later, in March 2016, we lost our sweet little old lady....Lucy. A gorgeous dignified pussy cat, who lived to the grand old age of 18. She had been with me since I bought my first house, before I was married, and before we moved over to "Normal Farm" She'd seen it all, and that included my doggy visitors. Lucy was my "test cat", the one who checked out the visiting dogs, because one wrong move, and ninja paw would make an appearance. Dogs soon knew their place, and harmony remained. Good old Lucy!!! What were we going to do without you!!!! Life soon settled down, lots of doggy's visiting and getting to know Grace, and Cactus (our black and white cat) then took over "test cat" duties. What a good boy!!!! Cactus was our "big man", and generally lived in the kitchen, where we slaves provided him with many beds on the work surfaces, fridge, units and what not!!!! He loved his fusses and cuddles, and even came up to the paddock for a little stroll with the dogs. He was a big cat, with a big heart. He had the most beautiful eyes, and his tail was his pride and joy. He loved company from his Humans and was the most loving of souls. But tragedy struck once more, just after we returned from our holiday in August 2016. Cactus was very happy to see us as we arrived home.......but as he got over excited, he seemed to have trouble breathing - rushing him to the vets, asthma had been suspected. Sadly, that wasn't the case....it was much worse. He had laryngeal paralysis, so his larynx was beginning to fail, and in a nutshell, suffocating him. We had hope in a laryngeal tie back, to permanently keep his larynx open. But sadly, this wasn't to be, and after an emergency tracheostomy, we eventually had to make that heart wrenching decision....to let him go. Nobody would operate on an FIV+ cat with diabetes, with a newly suspected heart condition. Cactus was 14....we were again reeling with shock. Thankfully, things have settled down, and apart from the paranoia, when one of my furry crew, dares to sneeze, we're all good!!! Since, then, in honour of my black and white big man, Cactus, we now have two Maine Coons in our life. It wasn't supposed to be like that you know....I wanted a ginger Maine Coon....just the one!!!! What happened....well we decided to get a black and white Coonie, and then came home with two!! Haggis and Herman - "The Trillers". They are as much "dog cat" as Gretal was "cat dog"....and for sure, they deserve their own blog post, detailing their antics. They have hands, not paws....arms not legs. They are truly hilarious, and have slotted into our family, in the most superb way. Our furry family feels complete again.....we will always have our memories, and we miss Gretal, Lucy and Cactus very much. But we will never forget them, and we always make room in our hearts for our furry loved ones. Until next time!
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AuthorPeak Pet Services....bringing our day in the Peaks to life Archives
October 2020
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