Casey 1991- 2011

There's a big hole in my heart right now. On Friday Sept 2 my beloved Casey took her last nap and peacefully faded away in her sleep. Right to the end she was still going strong and although I knew this time was coming I hadn't expected it to be quite so sudden. Certainly her body was showing signs of wear; her paws were less than snow white these days, and her ginger fur was fading to tawny beige. She had a limp that appeared last year and never left, and she was having difficulty retracting her claws so her paws made a clicking noise on the hardwood floors like a dog's when she walked. Her hearing had been mostly gone for a while now which made her usual talkative demeanour that much louder, but she was still totally mobile and seemed bright and happy. She was napping a lot more so I bought her a nice comfy catbed but she preferred to sleep in the bottom shelf of the bookcase or under the bench on the deck. This summer couldn't make the trek to sleep in the tomatoes like she used to. But her appetite never failed her and if she preferred soft food to dry (and let me know it) one could hardly blame her. She still enjoyed her favourite treat- sour cream and onion chips- the day before she died. Still she was drinking a lot more water these days and missed the litter box more frequently; although I can't be sure, I'm pretty certain some of those were deliberate expressions of annoyance. I knew her days were numbered but I didn't know how few she had left.


Casey had 20 good years with me and I feel like I've lost my closest friend. She was born in my closet during a Stanely Cup playoff game in June of 1991 and we were never apart for long since then. When there was only her and I, she slept on my bed, either at my head or feet, every night. She was with me through seven apartments and too many roommates to count. She was always there to greet me when I came home late from work or play in my single years, and she missed me frantically when I was away for long periods in my touring years. I think she truly appreciated the arrival of the Russian and the more settled life that came with him, although she remain my girl to the end.


She was less certain about the additon of the other cats. She was already a senior when Shelby arrived and was less than thrilled about being a play thing for a young kitten but in the long run I think she was glad for the company and Shelby adored her. My grief is being echoed by Shelby's as she keeps searching the house for Casey, crying in corners and closets. Both of the farm cats are noticeably distraught- they won't let me out of their sight and both have been sleeping on our bed at night which they never do when being outside is still an option. Last night Shelby lay on my chest and batted my hands to keep petting her- it's a thing that Casey always did but Shelby is usually too aloof to beg for attention. We both miss her horribly.



If there's a blessing to be found in this it's that Casey went out on her own terms, in her favourite place - asleep on the deck on a warm summer day. She saved me from seeing her decline even further and I am grateful I never had watch her suffer or make the decision when to end her life, because I don't know that I could have done it.

Farewell Casey-Lou, I hope there's lots of cheese and tuna wherever you are.