Losing a Beloved Pet

The last several days have been some of the saddest of my life. I have had to watch my beloved cat Lucy slowly losing her battle with cancer.

It’s been two years since she was diagnosed with cancer. It started with a small lump on her back and I blame myself for not getting her medical attention sooner. I was afraid I would hear that dreadful word CANCER. She was only three years old at the time. Way too young to be sick or die. But in August two years ago that is what I did hear. Lucy had cancer.

I got Lucy and Leo as kittens. My son had found two small kittens that could be held in the palm of your hand. Leo was so small when he first arrived at my home. He managed to slide under my stove and hide. Lucy I could feel her little bones because they had been starving. Well, they got chubby pretty quickly when I adopted them.

Baby Kittens

Leo and Lucy were very different but then all cats have their own personality. Leo was more independent and more social. However, he didn’t like cuddling very much. After all, he was a male cat. Lucy on the other hand, was cuddly and we spent many afternoons cuddling up taking naps. Lucy was also afraid of people. If anyone set a foot on the porch, she would take off like a bolt of lightning. She would then hide. I called her my cat alarm. Lucy was always the curious one, getting in trouble and sticking her nose in things. One day she wanted to smell the vicks vapor rub so I held it down for her to sniff. Her face crinkled up and she shook her head so that I laughed so hard at her.

Surgery for Cancer

In August of 2019, Lucy went to the veterinarian and had the lump removed. They thought that she would be fine. However, they warned me that there was a good possibility the cancer could return. Lucy and I had a good year and made many more memories. And then almost one year later, the lump came back. The veterinarian said they could remove the lump again. Maybe I should have gone that route. But they said there were roots of the cancer. So I made the difficult decision to not put her through that again.

Lucy After Having Surgery

After having surgery, Lucy did very well. Within hours she was up and ready to tear around like she always had. The veterinarian had told me to keep her quiet and not let her scratch or bite her stitches open. Well that proved to be rather tough as Lucy wanted to run, play and scratch. For a few days, I mostly kept her in a large dog box. This way, she couldn’t tear around and had to rest. For scratching the stitches, the vet’s assistant suggested a baby outfit to cover the wound. So, I got her two cute little baby outfits. She looked so adorable in them but she also learned how to slip them off real quick.

So all went well till the next year when the cancer surfaced again.

Lucy’s Last Days

The end is here,. Tomorrow ends Lucy’s suffering. For days now, she has steadily declined and the medicine isn’t stopping it. She can no longer go up the stairs or jump on the couch to cuddle with me. Her hair is in tangles because she can’t clean herself. I have cleaned her several times a day with wet baby wipes. The lump has now grown in size. It is making her unable to walk properly. I think her organs are being affected.

So sadly tomorrow we make out last trip to the veterinarian and we say our final goodbyes. Lucy will suffer no more. I like to think she will go somewhere where the sun shines. There, she can chase butterflies and blowing leaves. Lucy will love that.

Goodbye Lucy

Goodbye my beautiful Lucy. I will hold you in my memories forever.