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letting go of hemingway. kathy staran says farewell to her beloved pet.

By on October 21, 2013
kathy staran maine coon

At the end of 1993, having lost a wonderful pet, my darling Twinkles, a gray and white domestic short-haired cat, my husband and I decided to look into adopting another cat. We were looking for a kitten, but would have adopted any cat that captured our attention. After visiting three different shelters with no results (the cats we liked were either already spoken for, or there weren’t many to choose from) we finally ended up at the Westland, Michigan Humane Society, where there were many cats available for adoption. We came upon a cage of beautiful buff-colored kittens, who were about five weeks old and simply adorable! We bent down to look at them to see if any clicked. We saw a beautiful little calico kitten amongst the group of six kittens, and my husband was instantly in love with her. While he held her, I crouched down again to look into the cage. As I did, I noticed a smaller kitten in the back of the cage, who was very playful and had the most beautiful eyes. I asked to have this kitten brought out, and once I held him in my arms, I just knew this was the one! We began the adoption process and when asked what we wanted to name him, I came up with name, Hemingway, as he was a polydactyl kitten, with six toes on each paw! Needless to say, the rest is history; we took him home and had a lifelong friend for the next eighteen and a half years.

To say this cat blessed our lives will simply not do.

He was a constant companion, full of piss and vinegar at times, and at other times, he wanted to snuggle with us. He was always playful, talkative, and became a very large animal, weighing in at his heaviest at 14.5 pounds! He had a very regal nature about him, though you could always sense the playfulness just beneath the surface in his beautiful mint-green eyes. His coat was shiny and soft, as we made sure to brush his long Maine Coon coat daily. The brushing task became a daily ritual, with him purring, and biting the brush when he felt that he had enough of grooming. He was always eager to play, even attempting to engage in play even when we weren’t in the mood…

He played fetch, and also went outdoors with us, but remained on our wooden deck and did not go off, even when we went back indoors for a minute. He did tend to hiss at others, even when they were just going to pet him, but we felt this was due to his strong boundaries, and was also his warning system. He never bit or hurt anyone, as he seemed to know this would not be appropriate. We respected his boundaries, and he, in turn, respected ours.

Hemingway was simply a joy to have around, even in his later years, as he developed kidney disease and vaccine-induced sarcomas. After a surgery for the latter, his health declined and we felt the end was nearing. He slept more, was slower to jump up and down off furniture, etc. We saw these signs as typical of his aging. When he began declining more quickly, we discussed options and my husband said, “I am sure he will let you know, Kathy, when he’s ready to go. I think the two of you have that close a relationship where he will do that.”

And that’s exactly how it went. I awoke one morning to a horrible cry from him, and found him near the foot of my bed, on the floor, lying on his side and continually crying out in this horrible mournful wail. This sounded nothing like the howling he had begun approximately three years before, but more like a cry for help. I began sobbing, and knew that I needed to get help immediately. After calling the emergency veterinarian service, as it was 7:30 am on a Sunday morning, we were soon in the car and on our way. He cried a bit on the way, but I continued reassuring him through my own tears that it was okay.

Once we arrived at the veterinary emergency center, we were put into a room, and the vet took him away to do some testing. I sat there shaking, and called my husband, who was in Southern California on a business trip. Due to the three-hour time difference, it was 5:00 a.m. there when I called. He was very upset as well and stayed on the phone with me throughout the entire vet visit. The vet came back into the room with Hemingway, and said he had developed a blood clot in his rear hip area and there was nothing they could do to help, as clots tend to travel and it would be a matter of time before the clot traveled to his heart. I broke down in tears, as I wasn’t prepared to let him go. My husband and I decided this would be best for us to let him go, so I held him while the shots were administered, and he died peacefully in my arms a bit later.

This was without a doubt one of the most difficult things I have ever done, and I am proud that I got through it with grace and courage. 

I loved this cat with all my heart and soul, and will never be able to replace him, or the beautiful memories of him that I hold so dear. I will always remember his beautiful face, his soft fur, how I loved to hold and pet him, his unconditional love, and all he meant to me during the 18 ½ years we had together.

I will see you again in Heaven one day, my precious angel.

I will always love and miss you.

 

Kathy-GlassesKathy Staran has been writing for over 25 years on a freelance basis, has written articles for various online magazines, and also has published two fiction novels with her husband, Mike. She is also an Interior Designer, specializing in remodeling projects and real estate staging, and is an accomplished ceramic artist as well, specializing in functional pottery pieces and sculpture. She currently splits her time between Troy, Michigan and Marina del Rey, California, and shares her life with her husband and their two cats, Grayson and Tucker.

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