by "Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
Published 05/31/2017 at 13:56
by "Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
Published 05/31/2017 at 13:56
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STARS: 16
Overnight, my cat Booboo died. She was 21 years old.
Booboo was born sometime around April 1st 1996. She was named after her namesake, Ugly Booboo Kitty, who died that year (Ugly Booboo was my mom’s cat and was born in 1971, dying at 25 years old. Booboo is a good name for a cat that you want to live a long time).
It’s hard for me to get too broken up over Booboo, because she was so old. For the last five years or so of her life, she basically lived in the kitchen. Occasionally she’d walk into another room and announce her presence with a meow. My dogs would look at her like “what the fuck is that?” Shocked that she had left the kitchen.
I don’t often grieve animals very much. When I was in college, my Rottweiler, Willie, died in my arms when I came home over Thanksgiving break. She had cancer, but sort of held on until I could return home. Dying from cancer is not a pretty sight, and I’ve never hesitated again to euthanize an animal before they got to that point. It was, genuinely, the most traumatic experience of my life, and typing this is enough to make me break down in tears.
Willie sort of broke me, and I’ve never really grieved so much since.
Booboo died peacefully. It was clear around Sunday that she was in the process of dying. She stopped eating, spent most of her time laying in her bed. By Tuesday, she wasn’t leaving it. I had a business trip that I couldn’t cancel, and my biggest fear was that she would die while I was gone. I’ve known that cat longer than anyone who isn’t a blood relation and I owed it to her to be there when she died.
Oddly, Booboo was the third animal to die before I was leaving for somewhere. Willie, as I mentioned, died while I was on break from college. Lucy, my boxer, died a week before I went to Uzbekistan for a month.
Booboo lived through four presidencies. She was older than some of my coworkers. She’s older than some of you. She was old enough to order a drink.
Booboo outlived four dogs and two cats. It was a joke that she was the skinniest and sickliest animal I owned, but outlived them all.
When I woke up this morning, I knew she had died and didn’t really want to get out of bed to check.
Booboo was probably the last cat I’ll ever own. At some point over the 21 years that I had her, I developed a severe allergy to cats. She was grandfathered in. I spent most of last night and this morning sneezing and itching from holding her.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/31/2017 at 14:08, STARS: 0
Booboo was sixteen in that photo. She never didn’t look old.
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
05/31/2017 at 14:10, STARS: 1
It hurts. We had to put 18 year old Lili down back in 2013. Half Russian Blue but all the attitude. And trust me, another cat will find you. It’s their way.
"xyzabc" (stackofoldwood)
05/31/2017 at 14:11, STARS: 1
You can spend your entire life returning the love a cat gives you its entire life and still have plenty left offer.
"$kaycog" (skaycog)
05/31/2017 at 14:14, STARS: 2
I’m so sorry. 21 years is amazing.
"Svend" (svend)
05/31/2017 at 14:14, STARS: 1
I’m so sorry mate.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/31/2017 at 14:15, STARS: 0
Ironically, she was the only car I ever paid money for. The rest were all strays
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/31/2017 at 14:21, STARS: 0
Thank you
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/31/2017 at 14:22, STARS: 1
Thank you.
People didn’t believe me when I would tell them how old she was.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/31/2017 at 14:26, STARS: 1
21 years is an amazing run. Think of the good times.
My brother had a cat like this, a skinny small orange tabby who didn’t make it to 21, but made it into his teens, which surprised people as the cat always looked a little frail. One day the cat stopped eating, and wouldn’t leave the bed, a couple days later he passed in his sleep. The cat was very territorial and loved the house, so my brother buried him in the backyard. It was painful for him, this was a friendly cat who liked people and actually liked riding in cars.
He has another cat, who is 15 or 16 now, and getting up there - just came back from the vet with an arthritis verdict, and medication, but she still gets around, and is a lot more affectionate than when she was a skittish young cat. This one might make it a few more years.
"Seat Safety Switch" (seat-safety-switch)
05/31/2017 at 14:27, STARS: 2
21 years is a fantastic run for a cat (the best I have ever gotten is 18). I am so sorry for your loss.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/31/2017 at 14:30, STARS: 1
Thank you.
That’s the weird thing. On one hand, she lived so long that I can’t feel too bad about it, especially since she went peacefully in her sleep. On the other, I sort of expected her to outlive me.
"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
05/31/2017 at 14:30, STARS: 1
Ah, I’m sorry. 21 years is a really good run. The oldest cat in my family was 16 when she died. The oldest now is 15, and showing no signs of slowing down. I’ve only known a couple people to have cats make it past 20 though.
"loki03xlh" (loki03xlh)
05/31/2017 at 14:48, STARS: 0
Sorry for your loss.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/31/2017 at 14:51, STARS: 0
Thank you
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
05/31/2017 at 15:49, STARS: 1
Well apparently the price included a 250K warranty. Lili had to have fluids pumped into her twice a week, but she wasn’t in pain that we could tell, and she was still jumping onto the couch the night before. That’s a good run.
"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
05/31/2017 at 16:32, STARS: 1
Sorry to hear about your little friend...she is in a better place now. I would die if my cat passed away. She is my buddy...
"arl" (arl1968)
05/31/2017 at 16:45, STARS: 1
My condolences.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/31/2017 at 18:55, STARS: 0
Thank you
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
06/01/2017 at 07:04, STARS: 0
so sorry.