25/03/2024
Lulu - the only kitten I ever kept.
As a rescuer the focus was mainly on seniors who people didn't want to adopt. But Lulu ended up with me because Muffy, the cat who nursed her when I brought her home became very attached to "her" kittens. I found Lulu & her siblings in a drain with their eyes barely open.
Muffy immediately took interest in the litter, allowed them to nurse and amazingly produced milk for them.
As they eventually got adopted out I realized i was not fair to let them all go. Muffy got to keep Lulu.
Muffy passed 3 years ago when Lulu was 12.
At that time Lulu started sleeping next to my pillow.
Her whole life healthy, never a vet visit - then about a month ago she started eating less and wandering around the house meowing, like she was lost. I realized old age had crept up on her and she probably had dementia. Lulu knew it was time for her to leave soon but she did not know where she was supposed to go.
A week ago she stopped eating yet begged for food. One night she had 5 options and didn't want any. All I could get in her was oxygen water. I knew her end was near and assumed she would just pass peacefully. How wrong I was!
At 11 am today the 2 new dogs were barking frantically in the front compound. I went to investigate thinking it could be a snake. To my great surprise and horror I saw Lulu lying belly up at the bottom of dried out waterhole with the dogs pouncing on her. I yelled at the dogs & they took off. I scrambled down the slope to reach her. Thank God no bite marks but was wet all over from being nibbled on. Her tongue was bright purple. She was grasping for breath. I put her inside my shirt to climb back out of the hole.
How she even got in there I can only imagine. She had never been in that area before.
After wiping her down and getting her heart slowed down, she managed to lift her head to drink some oxygen water.
I carried her upstairs, put her on her favorite cushion which I sprinkled with essential oil of Lavender.
I put my hand on her heart and she relaxed closing her eyes.
A minute later she did a long stretch of her body letting all her air out. She was gone!
I wondered why the last hour of her life had to be so dramatic? Then I thought maybe it was because she needed to discover that the resting place she had been looking for was right here. She was so relieved to be safe today, to be back home on her pillow. The rainbow bridge was right here.
The only box I had to put her in, read: MeO Gold Indoor Cat -
how appropriate - she was my lump of gold who made my days shine bright for 15 years. Thank you Lulu.
I wrapped her in my pyjama shirt that I wore last night when she slept on my shoulder and buried her next to Bambi my cow who died a few months ago. Rest in Peace Sweet Lulu
You are with the butterflies now
