Jewel Kitty, the loss of a pet

It was April of 2004 when my life was really starting to change for the better. I was 32yrs old and had been getting more serious with my then 25yr old girlfriend Michelle. Up until recently I had been living in a bedroom at a friends’ house, but now armed with a steady job, an active social life and new confidence I had decided it was time to get my own place. In no time i settled on a nice cozy little studio Apartment in an area not too far from where I was. I was not long in the apartment when I started realizing that the companionship of a pet was missing from my life. After living in this new apartment for about 3 weeks I decided to take the leap!!

I opened up the Harford County Penny Saver on this late April day with the thought of finding a new companion. The first thing that hit my eyes was a house in which was a short drive from me that had Persian Kittens for sale. My first thought was that this would be perfect since Michelle was obsessed with cats and had never had been allowed to have one. Couple that with my first pet ever was a Persian cat named Copper, whose loss I never got over. So I put in the phone call to the breeder and then I was off on a journey, little did I know it would change my life forever.

When I first pulled up at this house I was completely unimpressed. This breeder seemed more like a hoarder unable to keep up with her daily life. There were kittens and cats running all over the place, outside and inside and the house reeked of cat urine and filth. I was ready to get out of there as quick as possible and was convinced there was not a cat that she would show me that I would want to take home. She invited me to sit down but even the furniture was very uninviting and I respectfully declined. As I kneeled down I did a quick look at the kittens she showed me that were for adoption and decided that none of them were right for me. I was ready to get out of this disaster area and call this bright idea a failure. Then out of nowhere a slightly older kitten maybe about 3 months old came and barreled right into my lap. She was the most gorgeous kitten I ever had laid eyes on. There was not another animal around like her she was a long haired seal point with the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen on a cat!! She also seemed to be begging me to get her out of this lifestyle as she was much too regal for it. Right then and there I knew we were to be forever linked, she had chosen me!! As it turns out even the breeder knew this cat was special and did not want to part with her , but after a little convincing and a little extra palm greasing I was able to land my prize.

I was so excited that night to show Michelle the gift I got for us; I knew she would fall in love with her just as I had. When I called Michelle she thought I was pulling her leg, she couldn’t let herself believe that I had gotten a kitten but she reluctantly agreed to come over and see for herself. When Michelle finally arrived, the kitten still not use to her new surroundings was hiding under the Television. Michelle was now convinced I had pulled some kind of prank on her and was ready to leave, then as if on cue just like she always would for the next 7 yrs, right on the nick of time, when needed most, she appeared. Instantly Michelle was in love and instantly she knew this little treasures name, we would call her Jewel.

For the next 7 wonderful years which included our marriage, our new house, 3 additional cats and 2 dogs, Jewel was always our little girl. She was always the one that would lay with us when we were sick or gently touch our faces with her paw in the morning to wake us like an alarm clock. Jewel was the queen of the house, she would train the other animals including us to the way she wanted things done and nothing else was acceptable. She was a creature with severe OCD like nothing I had ever seen in a cat before. Her routine was exact every day!!She didn’t like most people but she wasn’t a Fraidy Cat either. She would hang out no matter who was around. She could make the most awful noises for a cat; I am convinced she could not meow. If you had a food she was craving like fried chicken or cheese and would give her some, while eating she would make this nummy, nummy sound. That noise was the source of much enjoyment for Shell and I as well as a few lucky guests that would hear it. The countless quirks of the one we called Jewel Kitty could fill a phone book. Those are stories I will save for another day.

This entry is about something else entirely. You see on June 1rst 2011 Michelle and I had to make the hardest decision of our lives and end Jewels’ precious life. On that day her hind legs stopped working and the vet informed us that she had a rare spinal cancer that was untreatable and due to this awful diagnosis she had little time left. We both have cried so much since her loss that we have no tear ducts left. You see my friends; the purpose of this entry is to let others know that it is perfectly normal to grieve the loss of a pet, for in them we place our confidence, our trust, and our love and time that we will never again get back. In return we get the love of a pure heart!!

R.I.P. Jewel Kitty you are forever loved. Your mommy and I look forward to being whole again on the Rainbow Bridge.