A sad goodbye

One of our dearest friends, sweet little Pebbles, passed away yesterday in her sleep.  Pebbles came in to us three years ago, she was already an old lady but perked up as soon as she came in out of the cold.  Pebbles was a real lady and loved all the finer things of life, she had the run of the place, her own special chair, a hested pad for whenever she wanted it and always a very comfy bed.   Her food had to be dainty of of the best quality, she liked fresh meat and chicken and small gourmet pouches.  Pebbles had a lovely character and while she did everything on her own terms, she was unfailingly polite and charming.   She was a distinctive cat, very small and pure white with unusual eyes, one green and one blue – her gaze was steady and unflinching and beautiful to see.

On one of her first vet examinations we were told that Pebbles had a heart murmur.  We tried not to think about it except to make sure that her life was tranquil and without stress.  When the weather was warm, she would occasionally venture out for a stroll in the sun, but mostly she preferred to stay around the kitchen where she had her bed.  We don’t know exactly how old Pebbles was but it was obvious that her age made her fragile.  She didn’t jump or climb but still had a play from time to time.  Most of all she liked attention and conversation and would always give you a lovely greeting.

She had stopped grooming herself before she came in and her hair was knotted.   The vet shaved her the first summer she came in and we put her a little dress on to keep her cosy.  Pebbles loved it and from then on she always wore a cardi or dress and very pretty she looked in them too.  Pebbles had her own little dolly that she took to bed with her, she was a gentle little cat who never scratched or bit even when having to put up with something (like medication) that she didn’t like.

In the last six months Pebbles unexpectedly made friends – with another ‘golden oldie’ cat called Peaches.   This old lady (23 years) is nothing like Pebbles and has always been spirited and feisty, but these two who had side by side heated pads, became best friends from the start.  They would pad round together, eat their meals at the same time and take a great interest in what the other was doing.

It was worrying when Pebbles suddenly developed a swelling on her ear but the treatment from the vet seemed to be working well.   She was uncomplaining while we treated her although it must have been uncomfortable.  She started to sleep a lot more but was still eating well.  The night before yesterday we gave her a kiss and put her to bed as usual.  We were heartbroken to find her next morning, curled up in the same place, she had passed away in her sleep during the night.  Peaches was standing next to her and gave her a gentle kiss before we wrapped her up.   Goodbye, dear little friend, we will always miss you   xxxxxxx

We’ve buried Pebbles at the sanctuary, we will plant a rose bush to mark her place.  We’ve not made much progress with our planned Memorial Garden but at times like this it becomes ever more important and is still very much on the agenda.  We want always to remember these bautiful animals who make such a difference to our lives….