Adieu to my "Quality Assurance Inspector"

[LizKat]

Sad day in the boondocks for me this afternoon. Just buried one of my two old kitties. She was about 21 or 22 years old, a bit older than my other cat that turns 20 this summer. This one was rescued from starvation in a barren cornfield in late November one year... and I promised she'd never be hungry or cold again. That was good enough for her to become my unconditionally loving companion for sixteen years.

Here she is inspecting a quilt I made for her from some scraps of cotton fabric.s

She liked to "help" me pin and sew fabrics and of course to "help" unpack grocery bags. Thank goodness the ground is thawed enough to make a place to put her to rest alongside the barn... a sunny place in the morning, and shade for columbines and ferns in afternoon. Wrapped her in gold and orange batik as sunshine for the start of her next journeys. It's going to take awhile for me to connect to the fact that she has departed the planet.

The other cat strangely enough spent the whole night last night sitting in a windowsill upstairs that's directly over the place where Grace went to sleep in her corner of the couch downstairs for the last time. A private wake for her old adversary, I guess. On the other hand that's the window Grace used to head for after breakfast on a sunny morning, so... go figure!! "The queen is dead... long live the new queen."

 

[Huntn]

It's sad, and can almost be as sad as a human family member when they pass. To reach that age, I assume they were indoor cats only? ...but maybe not.

 

[yaxomoxay]

As a fellow cat lover, I am sorry
I am sure she’s having a blast in cat heaven! (Must be an incredible place)

 

[mobilehaathi]

Sorry to hear, I miss my kitties...

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

Damn. Sorry to hear of her passing, @LizKat.

 

[Mefisto]

May your feline companion rest in peace, OP. I'm sure you both made each other's lives better by just being involved in them.

edit: Oof. Piece -> Peace. Sorry about that.

 

[eyoungren]

I hesitate to say anything, only because I don't wish to dwell on my own long line of cats that have passed on.

But my sympathies and condolences. Cats are great pets and I hope you find comfort knowing your care and kindness was reciprocated with loyalty and gratitude.

 

[shinji]

Aw, sorry to hear that, @LizKat.

 

[decafjava]

Really sorry to hear that, we had two kitties and a dog growing up. I think she was especially lucky to adopt you.

 

[LizKat]

You folks are all sweet, thank you so much for your kind words. A few hours spent raking up more of winter’s leaves and discarded tree branches in a sunny yard also did wonders in helping me move towards letting Grace be on her way. My sister sent me this rainbow that Grace must have found for the launch to her next adventure.

@Huntn --yes, Grace and her "frenemy" Tevvi have both been indoor kitties; cats tend to live longer that way and I can worry less about the songbirds I like seeing and hearing out there too! Ciao for now / Liz

 

[hallux]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your cat. 21-22 is an excellent lifespan for a cat, even for an indoor cat.

 

[Lioness~]

Happy that you spent that long time together, but it’s sad when they go.
May you both (and the other cat) be graced despite her departure into her next adventure.
Cat’s are very close friends.

 

[smallcoffee]

Sorry to hear. I'd be crying my eyes out. Also holy ****. 22 is like 130 in human years.

 

[Gutwrench]

What a wonderful and loving perspective you have Liz. Grace couldn’t have had a better life, that’s certain.

I like to think those we love never really go anywhere. They just change forms. And if we look carefully we can see them.

No hug or flower emoticons here.
*hug*
*flowers*

 

[A.Goldberg]

@LizKat, my deepest condolences for your loss.

 

[jbarley]

I can really feel your sadness,
being 80+ years old myself, I've sadly outlived far too many cats and dogs.
I firmly believe that while you may be "master" to your dog, to your cat you are their "staff".

 

[Scepticalscribe]

@LizKat, my heartfelt sympathies; at least that cat had a great life, loved, fed, entertained and kept safe and warm, thanks to you. That is a fantastic life-span, and a tribute to you and to the quality of care you were able to give to the cat.

 

[D.T.]

@LizKat

As always, you have such a beautiful perspective on life, even during its sad moments. I know this can be tough, happy thoughts your way!

 

[thewap]

Sorry for the loss of your kitty. She lived a lucky life having been rescued by you which I am sure your kitty never forgot.

 

[Regime2008]

R.I.H. I can tell you loved your pets as if they were your own flesh and blood. Remember the special moments you have shared, and continue to be a great care giver to these animals! Can't wait to adopt my future "kids" !

 

[LizKat]

I can really feel your sadness,
being 80+ years old myself, I've sadly outlived far too many cats and dogs.
I firmly believe that while you may be "master" to your dog, to your cat you are their "staff".

We must be willing to accept the sadness of parting if we want meanwhile to have shared the love... so easy to rattle off the words, but every time out the box it's no easier at the end.

You're so right about the pecking order once a cat's on board.

Grace really was my quality assurance inspector, or so she appointed herself. I left the studio for just a couple minutes one day after finding a fabric from which I wanted to cut a medallion to appliqué onto something. I had left the 5” scissors I needed in another room. When I came back a few minutes later, Grace had not only decided to hold down the fabric for me to keep the desired medallion in position, but had rounded up a loose thread from somewhere for me to dispose of.

She was forever fascinated by anything like yarn, lengths of embroidery thread or long strips of fabric. The other kitty, Tevvi, who had arrived in my home first, has only ever been interested in the studio if the sun is in a particular window.

I spent two hours picking thread for hand quilting one day, left a dozen spools grouped together in a certain way and took a lunch break. When I came back the spools had been knocked to floor and chased all over the room. An apparently exhausted Grace was napping on the worktable. “How cats teach quilters to behave...”

It will be interesting to see if Tevvi eventually reclaims that studio window now when the sun hits it. She seems to know Grace is not in the house now, but I think it hasn’t occurred to her that a small world of lost advantages is hers again for the taking. Grace spoiled me by forcing me to pick that studio up every day; I’m on my own now even if Tevvi rejoins me in there. Tevvi likes to play games like fetch-the-crumpled-paper (and is ruthless in dispatching the occasional hapless mouse), but has never shown much interest in threads and fabric scraps. At best she’ll be a willing tester of how comfortable it is to nap on a wallhanging if I’m careless enough to set the thing on a table in the studio and wander off for coffee.

 

[hallux]

Love that post, @LizKat I don't care what some others say, if I had a choice between a dog and a cat it would be a cat every time. Yes, they can be "jerks" and you become their "staff", but cleaning a box from time to time (really one of the few differences when it comes to care) is nothing and worth what you get in return with the cuddles and personalities they exhibit when you have a really good one.

My parents lost one a couple years ago at 19 (and he was a hybrid indoor/outdoor cat for much of his life). He was the BEST of all the cats we've had in my life. I still miss him draping on my neck when I would pick him up (which was ALWAYS desired by him), he was GREAT with my niece and nephew when they came into the world, NEVER got into food left on the counter (their current 14 year-old doesn't either) and just an overall gentle buddy.

 

[chown33]

I'll never see one of those "Inspected for Quality by 23" tags the same way again.

 

[LizKat]

I'll never see one of those "Inspected for Quality by 23" tags the same way again.

Right? Ai, Grace might have done a better job than some of them. To be fair, she only worked when she felt like it.

@hallux Great post there. I'd only had one dog after I got out of childhood but I always loved them, so one winter a brother and his wife were headed for some southwestern sun and asked me to look after their dogs and a couple of horses and keep an eye on the place. I knew their critters so that was cool, but while they were gone I was amazed all over again at how different cats and dogs are about being told what to do or where to go.

My bro had said "when you're cooking they'll want to be in the kitchen with you, just clap your hands and then tell them "In Your Place" and they'll go lie down in the living room." I had to laugh. I have no idea how they were trained, but when I ran that line by them they immediately went into the living room and lay down with their front paws exactly on the dividing line between the two rooms.

The day one of my cats might ever have paid attention to such a command is never. As far as they have figured things, the whole place is theirs and I'm a cross between guest and servant.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Right? Ai, Grace might have done a better job than some of them. To be fair, she only worked when she felt like it.

@hallux Great post there. I'd only had one dog after I got out of childhood but I always loved them, so one winter a brother and his wife were headed for some southwestern sun and asked me to look after their dogs and a couple of horses and keep an eye on the place. I knew their critters so that was cool, but while they were gone I was amazed all over again at how different cats and dogs are about being told what to do or where to go.

My bro had said "when you're cooking they'll want to be in the kitchen with you, just clap your hands and then tell them "In Your Place" and they'll go lie down in the living room." I had to laugh. I have no idea how they were trained, but when I ran that line by them they immediately went into the living room and lay down with their front paws exactly on the dividing line between the two rooms.

The day one of my cats might ever have paid attention to such a command is never. As far as they have figured things, the whole place is theirs and I'm a cross between guest and servant.

A few years ago I read a short sci-fi story in which it is revealed that cats control our minds and basically govern the universe while they do whatever they want.
I am fairly certain that I have the text in some box, however I am sure that the story is totally true.