Say Goodbye to Blackie

I've told you about the feral outside cat we called Blackie.  He came to be a special little creature for my husband and me, and we fed him for more than two years.  The regular feedings saw him through two injuries, one serious enough that the cat dragged his back leg behind him for about a month.  Last winter he used our heated cat bed to survive the brutal weather, and it was in that same heated cat bed where he died on Saturday afternoon.

We had gone to my grandson's 7th birthday party which was great for kids but kind of mass confusion for adults.  There were about 16 kids there!!  Thank goodness for the garage and a space heater or two.  Along with the sixteen kids were at least 12 adults.  My daughter-in-law had really gone all out with party preparations that included a pot of chili, sandwiches, dirt pudding, snacks, games, prizes, decorations, and music.  The kids ran around the cul-de-sac in a wonderful game that worked a little like musical chairs except that the safe places were driveways. 

Drew loved his party!!

Well, the party was supposed to be from 5-7 p.m. and right around 7:00 p.m., I saw that look of tiredness on my husband's face.  We needed to get home to check on Blackie anyhow because she wasn't doing well at all.  Over the course of the last month, her health had taken quite a tumble and she was drinking an excessive amount of water -- a sign of either kidney failure or diabetes. 

We tried to catch her later last week in order to take her to the vet's office to have her put to sleep.  But she mustered enough energy to outwit us and went under the deck.  She last ate on Thursday, I think.

For Friday's trick or treat night, we barricaded the front door with porch furniture and a sawhorse, and set the candy out on a lawn chair with a sign for the few that usually make the trip down our hilly driveway.  That way Blackie could stay in the heated house and wouldn't be frightened or upset by the strange voices and noises.

When we started down the driveway Saturday evening at around 8:00 p.m., Eric noticed first that the lid of the Styrofoam cooler that held the heated cat bed was ajar.  He had been worrying because we left food out and he was afraid that a raccoon had come along and bothered Blackie.  We went into the house through the garage door and then both of us headed to the front porch.  Eric lifted the lid and called out to Blackie a couple of times.  I didn't hear anything and Eric said she was gone.

I'm sure you know the book and movie, Heaven's For Real.  Well, in that book the little boy who had a near death experience of some kind saw lots of animals in heaven -- wild ones and tame ones both.  It says in the Bible that the lion will lie down with the lamb.  All will be at peace with one another in heaven.  So I believe that Blackie went there.  It didn't matter that he only felt the touch of human hands for the last week or so before he died or before that the only affection he knew was the sound of gentle, kind voices speaking his name that he knew.  It didn't matter that he lived outside.  He belonged to someone and he was loved by someone.  And he was aware of it. 

I told my husband that when our time comes, we will be surrounded by cats who have been waiting for us and Blackie will be there among them. 

If Blackie had made it through the weekend, we were going to find a way to get her to the vet's office today.  They knew about the situation and had been very kind and accommodating for Blackie.

Blackie was buried on the little slope on the other side of the driveway, the last place I ever saw her walking from towards home, the same slope where Puddin'Head, Shimmer, Girlie, Ugly and Tigger are buried -- the Nelsen pet cemetery.

So rest in peace sweet Blackie.  Your pain is over and your time to rejoice is here.