Saying Goodbye Part II

The problem with loving is that pets don't last long enough and people last too long. ~Anonymous This is my sweet, sweet kitty Gadget. As you can see, she loved to be warm. If there was a patch of sunlight to be found coming through the window, you would find her there. She was also my bed buddy, often to the point that I was unable to move my legs.

Oh, the stories I can tell about this one! I found her at a pet store in Phoenix while looking for someone to keep Giz company during the day while I was at work. There was a box full of kittens that were all either orange tabby or midnight black. Smack in the middle of the box was this sweet girl with a big red ribbon on her neck. I told the lady working there that she was the one that I wanted and she shook her head and said she had already spoken for her herself. But, I could have any of the others. I just politely declined and continued to look around the store for things that I needed for Giz. Just before we left the store, the lady relented and said if I promised to "love, honor and obey her for the rest of her life" I could have her. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and thus our relationship began.

Just like Giz, Gadge has been with me through almost 15 years of ups and downs, heartaches, moves, a marriage and two new human baby girls. C used to kid that Giz was my prissy side and Gadge was my more subdued melancholy side. She could often be found staring at herself in the mirror of all things or in the reflection of the glass in a frame. We would jokingly say she was depressed.

Unlike Giz, Gadge had many a trip to the vet for crazy things like licking a patch of hair on her tummy till it bled. I got meds for her that I called "Kitty Rogaine" and gave her lots of love. The vet that time told me that she was not getting enough attention of all things! When I was 7 months pregnant with my first daughter at Christmas time one year Gadge swallowed 18" of curling ribbon and had to have emergency surgery to remove it from her intestines to the pricey tune of $900. My hubby who grew to love cats only after he met me, couldn't stand the thought of me losing her in my state, not to mention the guilt I would have carried because I should have known you don't have curling ribbon in a house with cats. Needless to say any gift that entered my house after that lost it's ribbon before it came through the door! Unfortunately, she did the same thing a couple years later when a balloon with some ribbon on it floated to the floor. That time she passed it, but we discovered she had kidney stones and she had another surgery for that. Needless to say she used up many of her nine lives!

I cannot believe that it has only been 11 days since we said goodbye to Giz. Tonight, Gadget crossed the bridge to be with her. Gadget actually stopped eating at about the same time as Giz. I have a feeling she just knew. My sweet girl, I know you are with Giz and giving her all the extra love we sent. The two of you are probably already playing hide and seek. Our house will definitely not be the same. I miss you and I love you!