Nov 16 2008
Dealing With Loss
Here is another example of how aristocats and mundanes are similar. We have all known loss. I have spoken before about losing my parents when I came to live with Andi and Gus. I was very young and quite frightened. I didn’t know what was happening but I had my beloved brother, Cougar with me.
Cougar was a magnificant, orange Maine Coon male. When he reached his prime, he weighed 20 pounds. It was all muscle and fur. His tail was a sight to behold. It was thick, long and graceful. In spite of being quite large, he was the most gentle of animals.
As you are undoubtedly aware, gentle Reader, Maine Coon cats trill for each other. It is a pleasant sound and helps us locate one another. Cougar’s trill sounded like Merrrr in English. It was his distinct call and I can still hear it today.
We lost him when he was only five years old. I was devastated. The rest of the family cried and cried but eventually went on with life. I was not so fortunate. I had never spent a day without my brother and companion. The stress was too much for me and I began to shed fur, lose weight and mournfully cry throughout the house.
Andi tried to make me feel better by spending extra time with me, but it didn’t really help.
Although cats aren’t frangible, she talked to me about getting another cat.
“It might be fun to have a kitten around the house,” she told me.
We began looking at ads for rescue cats and that is when she found Miguel. (See previous post)
When they brought home that little bundle of black and white fur, I resisted feeling anything towards him. After all, I didn’t want to be disloyal to my brother. Andi explained that the heart can expand endlessly when it comes to love. Cougar was gone but we would always love him and treasure the memories of his short life.
Miguel would represent a new beginning and we should open up our hearts to him. And so I did. He is a very loving, gentle and affectionate cat and I have grown to love him. He hasn’t replaced Cougar. rather, he is another soul who has come into my life for the benefit of us both.
RIP Cougar Boy
2 Responses to “Dealing With Loss”
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I think this is a sweet post about a dealing with the loss of a furry member of the family.
Very nicely done Andi!
Dealing with the loss of our furry companions is always rough. We lost a dog once, our other dogs howled for several days non stop.
I noticed I had some linking issues from my blog, they are all fixed now.