And Now She is Gone

Katy and Mirren-our female cat- bonded immediately. When she turned that corner in Pet Smart, she was eye to eye with Mirren, almost like Mirren knew she was coming, and it was love at first sight. Most of the pictures you see of Mirren as a kitten are with Katy. Mirren would sleep with Katy on those nights she had to sleep on the couch because she was too weak to walk up the stairs. Mirren would lay on the hospice bed with Katy, until she couldn’t. Ever since Katy passed, Mirren has become very talkative. I will hear her upstairs in the hallway chittering. She will sit outside the downstairs bath and cry, like she used to do when Katy was vomiting in there on the worst days.

Last night I had to make a quick Walmart run for kitty litter. I made a stop in the toy aisle, just to browse, and bumped carts with a lady browsing as well. She was cute, but way too young for me. I apologized, she smiled and said it was fine.

I started looking at the scratch pads when she suggested one that gets for her cats. This sparked your typical cat person conversation, we shared pictures and discussed those little quirks that annoyed us, but we put up with it. And then I shared the story that I shared with you in the opening. She gave her condolences and then shared something with me that made me cry.

Her family is from the Philippines, her grandmother was a very spiritual person and firmly believed that not only do cats have a connection to the dead, but they can also communicate with the dead. Her grandmother’s house was always filled with cats and after her husband died, she would regularly have conversations wither her husband via the cats. This young lady said that Mirren is talking to Katy.
I lost it. She hugged me and apologized, and I pulled myself together and refused her apology. She had nothing to apologize for. Her story was beautiful, and I will think about it next time I hear Mirren’s cry coming from somewhere in the house.

This morning as I brewing my coffee, Mirren came walking into the kitchen. She started rubbing up against my calf. She gave me a few little chitters and then started walking toward the patio door. She sat and looked out the back door and cried out.

“Good morning, my love.”