There are only a few rules that are inviolate in my life . . . this week required following one of them, that my Sita might find peace. I will miss those little paws on my arm, though.
It's funny how they worm their way into your heart. Sita was the cat we were not looking for, but she was the cat we ended up having to take. She was not friendly by any means, and barely tame. For the first sixth months of her time with us the only proof of her existence was the steady depletion of the food in her bowl, and the accumulation of poop in her box. On the rare occasions she was sighted it was briefly, and from a distance. A trip to the Vet would involve a chase, some poop, some pee, and non-stop vocal protests on the way to, and from Snelgrove. It got to the point that we abandoned the idea of check-ups, as it was so stressful for her (and us).
As the years went on, she began to tolerate her staff more easily, even allowing a select few to pamper her. The game became forcing her to tap me on the arm in order to obtain scritches on her ears or, if the mood took her, her belly. She would jump on the bed as we settled in for the night, and snuggle up against my legs. At least until the leap became too great with the purchase of a new mattress.
As she got older, and slowed down, she became more friendly to those who worked for her. She sought attention and affections, rather than avoiding them. She had her "spots" in the house, locations earned through seniority, if nothing else, and her staff enforced those privileges against our other three felines. Sita wanted none of the nonsense of her younger cousins or daughter. She just wanted to be treated with the deference due her age and status. she was a lot like me, in that sense.
She'd been struggling with a cold the last few weeks, and we've been struggling with it too. She is not a young cat, anymore, and it was likely the next trip to the Vet would be her last. It's funny how that which you were least looking to have is now the last thing you want to lose.
We put Sita to rest on Monday . . . and now that my weekend has started, I am drunk off my ass and crying like a little girl.