Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Dear Cookie
My beautiful boy, it's been almost a year since you left us and it still hurts to think that you're no longer here. I miss you all the time and I keep thinking about what a ridiculously funny cat you were. There will never be another cat like you. Miss you xx
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Day 2
Currently trying to stay up for as long as possible so I'm really tired before I go to bed. I'm trying not to read stuff about dead cats (which I seem to have done a ridiculous amount of in the last 24 hours; cremating cats, how other cats have died, how to cope etc) but instead focus on tedious stuff that needs just a tiny bit of concentration. I need to be really tired so I'll hopefully just conk out and not lay there thinking about Cookie. I'm too scared to be alone at the moment so I also need to make sure that I sleep long enough so that my mum arrives at mine and wakes me up. I don't want to wake up on my own. I have my amazing cats and perfect Pug for company, but I'm scared of loving them at the moment, because I've never felt a loss like this before.
I hope tomorrow night is easier.
The self-appointed King of stealth
As is always the case with the death of a loved one, certain personality quirks come to the fore and even in this time of sadness, cannot fail but bring a smile to the faces of those left behind. Cookie had more personality than most people, and this shone through no more than during one of his self-appointed missions, usually with the end goal being a morsel of food or a good snuggling location.
He would often try initially a direct approach: the headbutt that signaled to you that the boy wanted some affection, or the sneaky peak around the door to see if the coast was clear for another run at the dog's food bowl. With the former, on the occasion whereby his demands were not met, instead of admitting defeat, he'd soldier on regardless. Now, Cookie was never the most elegant of cats, it has to be said. In fact, if we're trying to quantify his cat-ness, it's fair to say he would be considered a 'Cause for Concern'. Yet this would never deter him from his mission. He would leap with all the dignity, poise and balance that he could muster, onto the top of the sofa, choosing the covert route behind your head in order to get what he wanted. I don't think I ever saw him complete one of these missions without falling off, knocking something over, or disturbing another resting cat - not that we ever needed any help in knowing what he was up to anyway. For he had that determined glint in his eye, a determination that saw him through so many of the troubles that life threw his way. And although he always got what he wanted in the end, you could plainly see that a little part of him KNEW that it was only as a direct result of his stealthy escapades.
It was impossible not to adore this cat, for the qualities he espoused with everything that he did, his lovable inability to do anything remotely catlike, or for being the pet that was completely unflustered by anything whatsoever.
Sleep well, little dude.
He would often try initially a direct approach: the headbutt that signaled to you that the boy wanted some affection, or the sneaky peak around the door to see if the coast was clear for another run at the dog's food bowl. With the former, on the occasion whereby his demands were not met, instead of admitting defeat, he'd soldier on regardless. Now, Cookie was never the most elegant of cats, it has to be said. In fact, if we're trying to quantify his cat-ness, it's fair to say he would be considered a 'Cause for Concern'. Yet this would never deter him from his mission. He would leap with all the dignity, poise and balance that he could muster, onto the top of the sofa, choosing the covert route behind your head in order to get what he wanted. I don't think I ever saw him complete one of these missions without falling off, knocking something over, or disturbing another resting cat - not that we ever needed any help in knowing what he was up to anyway. For he had that determined glint in his eye, a determination that saw him through so many of the troubles that life threw his way. And although he always got what he wanted in the end, you could plainly see that a little part of him KNEW that it was only as a direct result of his stealthy escapades.
It was impossible not to adore this cat, for the qualities he espoused with everything that he did, his lovable inability to do anything remotely catlike, or for being the pet that was completely unflustered by anything whatsoever.
Sleep well, little dude.
Cookie's Legacy
Cookie was all about the loving and couldn't get enough of it. He was constantly determined to establish new ways to eke out any kind of petting and would regularly attempt various forms of affection attacks to see if he could get anywhere. He was constantly resourceful and easy to love. Combine this with the fact that he was so poorly for so long, the result was that out of the seven cats we have, he got the most of our time, affection and concern. If we were ever needing to sit down and have a chat about one of our cats, it was usually Cookie. He cost us a fortune as in the past 5 years he's been in and out of hospital with his various ailments. We spent tens of thousands of pounds getting him better and for a long time it worked; he was the king of bouncing back. However, this meant that the other cats didn't get as much time from us as they deserve. Having Cookie was like having a sick child. We sometimes resented this, but it was impossible to keep it up. He was a ridiculous cat and this made him so easy to love and so heartbreaking to lose.
We pledge to continue to love Cookie as much in his absence as we did when he was with us. Instead of directing this love at him we will share it with his remaining brothers and sisters as he was the kindest animal I've ever known and this will be his ultimate legacy.
My own favourite memory of Cookie
Although I only knew Cookie for about a year, he gave me enough memories for a lifetime. Ever the mischievous, sheepish yet lovable guy, he amazed you constantly with his unique and unmatchable combination of ballsyness and sheer timidity. My favourite memory of Cookie perfectly encapsulated these characteristics beautifully. Seeing him perched over our dog's food bowl, nonchalantly looking up at me while behind him sat our dog, bemused and confuddled by what was happening right before her eyes. Any other cat, and our dog would have been all over them, but Cookie always exuded a cool demure that infected everybody he ever came into contact with. And he would usually attempt to come into contact with them as frequently and as vigorously as possible.
A very special cat, and I feel honoured to have been able to call him my own, if only for a very short period of time.
R.I.P. Cookie. Forever in my heart. x
A very special cat, and I feel honoured to have been able to call him my own, if only for a very short period of time.
R.I.P. Cookie. Forever in my heart. x
The Day He Passed Away
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