Tessie
Tessie passed away on Tuesday, May 29, at 4:30 PM at Sunset Pet Hospital
in Renton Washington. She was 17 years old and she was with me from the
time she was 6 weeks old. Tessie was an exceptional cat and the bond
between us was incredibly strong. Tessie and I lived together in a 3000
square foot home. As Tessie got older and her arthritis started bothering
her, I got her a soft fluffy form fitting bed and put it in the livingroom
by a big picture window. She loved it. I got her groomed often, and when
she was gone I would wash her bed so that it would be nice and fresh for
her.
Tessie and I had our rituals. In the morning I would get up and do my
stretches and then meet her in the kitchen and get her breakfast. If I was
too slow, or she was really hungry, she came into the bedroom and started
talking to me and rubbing up against me purring loudly. When I would get
back from my run, Tessie would be asleep on her bed. In the evening when I
came home from work, she would be waiting for me at the top of the stairs.
When I went to bed, she would come in and jump up on the bed and I would pet
her until I feel asleep. Every Sunday morning I would take my coffee into
the livingroom and sit by the fire (when it was cold) in the big easy chair
and read the paper. Tessie would always come up on the arm of the chair and
demand attention.
Tessie was always there to show me unconditional love and no matter what
kind of day I had, she would always cheer me up. She saw me through the
death of my mom, a horrible divorce, and the passing of her brother BeBe.
She was the sweetest cat. She was also very accommodating. Whenever she
had a fur ball, she would go downstairs and deposit it on the tile rather
than the carpet. As she got older, and kidney disease took hold, she would
throw up several times a week. Still, she would take her arthritic body
down the stairs so I wouldn't have to clean up after her.
Losing Tessie was an overwhelming blow for me, but she let me know when it
was time. I truly believe that when she felt I was doing OK, it was OK for
her to let go. She may be gone, but I will always have sweet memories. I
will always love my sweet little cat Tessie.
Henry B.
