Kinda Puts Things Into Perspective

Over at Lady Tam's place, it's been a bad couple of weeks. First, they had a death in the family.

That was followed by even more grim news today.

This led me to think about our family pet, Shadow.

Shadow is my wife's kitty since before I moved in. She was literally a stray from up the street. She's a long haired kitty, what they refer to as a Nermal. Fur so dark brown it's almost black and sheds enough you could literally knit another just from the hair sucked up in the vacuum or from the brush.

Anyway, in the 8 years since I moved in, as I explained in comments over at Tams place, she's become our Nanny. She will let us know when it's time to go to bed, when it's time to get up, when it's time to eat (of course), and will even comfort either or both of us when we're under the weather. She also tucks us in at bedtime before she hits her food dish before returning to the bed to ensure we're all comfy and sleeping. Shadow has also been known to let us know when we have company, whether it's of the physical kind, or when it's of the unseen variety.

And since Mrs. Hazmat is expecting twins (due mid-November, boy and girl) , she's taken to following my wife around to make sure everything's OK. From going to the fridge all the way to escorting her to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

What happened with Miss Tam and Bobbi got me to thinking what my wife and I would do if we ever lost Shadow. For sure, there would be a terrible hole in our lives. Not having our alarm clock or chaperon for bedtime would be sorely missed. But also the other things. The little things that cat owners and lovers always get a kick out of. Like running at full bore down the hallway in order to beat us to bed, only to run headlong into the end of the bed, misjudging the speed and catapult angle when attempting this feet of daredevil only cats are capable of. Or the remote control kitty spot, the one where when you scratch it just right, you can make the kitty clean herself uncontrollably for as long as you've hit the 'spot'.

My wife is very emotional when it comes to her kitty. Losing her bestest friend in the world (besides me) would literally tear her up. She and I both would be lost without her. I pray that Shadow lives a long and healthy life.

I feel for Tam and Bobbi and the loss they've suffered. I can imagine losing one pet. I cannot begin to fathom the grief that accompanies the loss of two pets in less than two weeks. My condolences on your loss, ladies, I wish there was something I could do.