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A Memorial for Sadie - June 02, 2006
Posted: June 02, 2006

Sadie D'Alonzo
1990 (est) - Friday June 2, 2006

Gosh - I really did love her a lot. Suzanne and I had determined at somepoint that she was "my" cat - which is to say she just loved it when I gave her lots of attention. She liked having her bottom pat and would have whole conversations with me while said patting commenced. That was our special time together, along with all of the time she sat in my lap while I was at the computer.

Among her special quirks include her penchant for licking nylon straps on backpacks and luggage. I can't explain the nylon thing other than it must have felt good on her tongue. She also was the only cat in the house that would regularly hop up to the sink and drink from the faucet.

She earned distinction in our house enough to be nicknamed the "Barfer in Chief" because she would eat all of the dust bunnies around the house, and then, when they gummed up the works, she would let it all back out. I have been ambushed by her barf while walking around the house many a time.

I could vent about how it's unfair that she was the first to go and that I wasn't ready -- but I can't imagine a situation where I'd ever be ready to let her go no matter how many cats had passed before her. By our best guess, she lived 16 years, the last 8 with two people that really did love her very much. I hope that to her, it was a long enough and happy enough life. She was the best first cat bond I could ask for. I'm thankful for my time with her.

Comments: 3 -- Post a Comment

Comments

You and Suzanne have my condolences for Sadie's passing. I don't know what I can say that will offer any sort of comfort, but I am sorry for your loss and I'm glad that she was so well loved while she was with you.

We're here if you wanna dump or talk or need anything.

Rest in peace, Sadie

Posted by: GB Crush at June 2, 2006 05:00 PM

Thanks D,

Sometimes there are no words to say. Thanks for your support.

-F

Posted by: Franco at June 2, 2006 05:35 PM

Further thoughts from an e-mail with Dave:

I've never lost a pet before. Moreover, I've never had to choose to end a pet's life. I don't need to tell you that I have spent much of the last couple days crying. Humpty Dumpty fell and we couldn't put her back together again. I don't like to think I play favorites, but the truth of the matter is she was the one I loved most. She died first.

Now all I have are photos and memories of her and I am going through the usual fears that one goes through when facing the death of a love one: Will I forget about her? Will I remember how she felt and how she made me feel? How can I properly honor her memory? etc... I spent a lot of time combing her and talking to her in her last hours of life.

I just hope she understood how much I loved her. So I go between these feelings and doubts, to trying to remember all of the positive elements she bestowed upon me. It's hard. Especially because she was walking around my house less than 24 hours ago.

I think that it's harder for me to deal with because she was ambulatory; able to walk around the house with no assistance. In the realm of human experience, most death in old age involves being bedridden first. I suppose you could say she was somewhat that way since she hid under a mattress for most of the last couple days. All of her real problems were masked. Pneumonia. Inability to eat in general. Abnormally-enlarged esophagus. Bloating due to god-knows-what.

In the end, the only logical conclusion left was the one we arrived at. By I'm fairly irrational about her right now and full of doubt.

Posted by: Franco at June 5, 2006 08:43 AM

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