Miss Betty
A donation was made in memory of Miss Betty on Sep 06, 2011.
After giving Miss Betty free reign to wander in the yard on a sunny and warm Thursday afternoon, our vet Dr. Kelly came to the house and helped her slip away in my arms and from her suffering. She was having too much pain from swallowing, and yet was hungry - a difficult moment to watch at every meal. She had a cancerous tumor under her tongue that would continue to grow and make it more and more difficult to swallow. Pain medication helped for a while but in the last week she would walk away from a plate of food uneaten but a few bites.
Betty was my dear sweet companion of 10 years. She had been through so much in the one year of her life before she found us. Hiding under a deck in deep snow for several weeks she was finally coaxed out and brought home by a friend who knew she would be safe with me. The first years she was so tiny and hungry she slept curled up on my belly every night, purring loudly and contently. Later her 11 pounds became too heavy for me,and she slept alongside us. We learned later that as a tiny kitten she was shot by a BB gun with one remaining lodged in her diaphragm. Yet she was always trusting and loving of people, curious of whoever came to the door.
She taught me love acceptance trust honesty forgiveness and living in and for the moment. As I just read recently when your pet dies, they take nothing and leave everything. When they die, a part of us dies. My grief is deep and painful - I miss her so much, but I also know I had to stop her pain before it would become unbearable for her (starving but unable to eat). I was told this was the last and greatest gift to her - an act of love and compassion. It was a very difficult heartbreaking act that up until this point I am not sure I have ever felt such heartache.
And so I would like to honor the memory of my sweet girl who would run each time to greet you at the front door regardless of where she was in the house; wake me each morning with loud purring next to my head and with gentle but insistent taps with her paw to my face when it was time to wake up; follow me throughout the house and watch my every move; leans on my legs when I was cooking in the kitchen to know that she was there, and talk talk talk talk as she was running down the steps to let me know it was time to eat!
Here's to Miss Betty - a gentle sweet trusting cat with a big personality. The house feels very empty now. I will miss her.
Phoebe B.
Betty was my dear sweet companion of 10 years. She had been through so much in the one year of her life before she found us. Hiding under a deck in deep snow for several weeks she was finally coaxed out and brought home by a friend who knew she would be safe with me. The first years she was so tiny and hungry she slept curled up on my belly every night, purring loudly and contently. Later her 11 pounds became too heavy for me,and she slept alongside us. We learned later that as a tiny kitten she was shot by a BB gun with one remaining lodged in her diaphragm. Yet she was always trusting and loving of people, curious of whoever came to the door.
She taught me love acceptance trust honesty forgiveness and living in and for the moment. As I just read recently when your pet dies, they take nothing and leave everything. When they die, a part of us dies. My grief is deep and painful - I miss her so much, but I also know I had to stop her pain before it would become unbearable for her (starving but unable to eat). I was told this was the last and greatest gift to her - an act of love and compassion. It was a very difficult heartbreaking act that up until this point I am not sure I have ever felt such heartache.
And so I would like to honor the memory of my sweet girl who would run each time to greet you at the front door regardless of where she was in the house; wake me each morning with loud purring next to my head and with gentle but insistent taps with her paw to my face when it was time to wake up; follow me throughout the house and watch my every move; leans on my legs when I was cooking in the kitchen to know that she was there, and talk talk talk talk as she was running down the steps to let me know it was time to eat!
Here's to Miss Betty - a gentle sweet trusting cat with a big personality. The house feels very empty now. I will miss her.
Phoebe B.
