When I first got Tess she was as tiny as a hamster. She had been abandoned by her mother and the people who gave her to me said that they did not believe she would make it but I took her anyway.
When we got her home to North Bay from Sturgeon Falls she had to have a bath and 9 more following that one to rid her of fleas. Then I made several vet appointments for her to make sure she was healthy enough and not in any pain or suffering from any illnesses. Luckily my vet told me she was in good health we just needed to fatten her up and make sure she was getting the proper amount of vitamins in order to grow up strong and healthy. I ended up having to bottle feed her for a little over 3 months until she was strong enough to stand over her own food and water/milk dishes.
When Tess was about 4 ½ months old she had an accident when some 2x4’s had fallen on her. At this point I thought she would never make it but after 3 weeks at the vet hospital she was as good as new. Of course she still had back pain from time to time but other then that she was a happy go lucky cat.
As time went on Tess showed more and more of her own personality and boy was she one of a kind. She loved lying in front of the window watching what was going on outside but she did not like going outside. The first time she got out was when I lived with my father and step-mother on Ski Club Rd. One of my little step-brothers has left the door open in the middle of the winter and Tess, being the curious cat she was, decided to take a little stroll outside. I noticed her laying in the middle of the road and I ran to her as I noticed a car coming full speed ahead. I managed to jump infront of it, scoop her up and run her back into our house. After that any time Tess did go outside she basically just fell over and played dead, so to speak. She loved sitting on her step stool in front of the TV to watch golf...she sometimes tried to go after the ball too. She enjoyed peace and quiet and loved to cuddle! Her favourite part of the day was her morning, evening and bedtime tablespoon of wet cat food. (I only gave her a tablespoon cause that's all her tiny stomach could handle after her surgery) She only liked chicken & beef chunks in gravy or shredded turkey with cheese in gravy and of course "whisker lickens" cat treats sent from grandma in Texas. She was a spoiled kitty but she was one of a kind and was very smart.
It was around the middle of summer when I noticed Tess’ whole personality was changing. She liked to keep to herself a lot of the time. She was having trouble walking around, getting in and out of her litter box and she got easily irritated. Any time someone would pet her she would let out a painful meow. I knew at this point that my time left with Tess was limited. I brought her into the vet and sure enough he confirmed that Tess’ back was a lot worse and there was nothing more they could do for her, she would have to be put down or live in pain until she was finally ready to go naturally but the vet was not willing to give me that option.
I could not bare to watch my cat, my baby, suffer any longer so on November 28th 2008 I brought Tess back to the vet where I prepared to say goodbye to her for the last time. I tried to remember all the good times but it was hard as I held her in my arms waiting as she passed on. It was the worst feeling. My heart was aching as I realized that I went there with my cat alive and would leave without her. As I watched Tess slip away from me I felt so guilty. I should have taken better care of her...would she ever forgive me? It was that last look she gave me before the vet took her out of my arms that I will never forget. It was almost a mix of peacfulness but sadness all at the same time. She was smart, she knew she wasn't coming back home with me. I gave her a gentle, reassuring kiss on her cheek to let her know I loved her, I'd miss her, I'd never forget her and then I handed her off to the vet. The vet returned about 5 minutes later with Tess wrapped in her 2 favourite blankets and gently placed her back in her kennel. My good friend Raylean was there with me and offered to have Tess burried in her back yard along side her cat Jazmine.
I still think of her all the time. Some people say it’s just a cat, get over it...but she wasn’t just any cat she was my cat, she was my fur baby and the only living thing that stuck by my side no matter what. In my eyes she was practically human. She was there for me when I left for the hospital only to find out my daughter’s heart had stopped in the womb at only 6 months and she was there when I returned home without my daughter. She knew something wasn’t right and having her there with me helped more then I can ever explain. She grieved with me...she was my comfort through a horrible heartbreaking time.
I miss her with all my heart...I miss her every second, minute, hour and day of my life.
I MISS HER A LOT!!
