a sad day.....

Tiffany.... a very special girl. I loved her from very close up when I visited...and from very far away the rest of the time.














This is a pic of her from last summer when I visited my sister and got to play with all of the cats and the horses. Much as I suppose I should not admit to having a favourite... she was mine. She would sit beside me for hours..just enjoying the company... getting sleepy looking and finally her head would droop to her paws and she would doze for a bit.. but, somehow, still vigilant, and always ready to follow and check out what you were up to if you moved or went somewhere else. Her whites were sooo snow white and her coat always luxurious and fastidiously cleaned... sometimes she cleaned her soft tummy so well that she had it totally bare in a few spots... we never did know why she did that. We chalked it up to nerves although she seemed so calm it was still strange to think it could be that. Maybe it was just a bit of OCD.... and she was like my sister... overzealous with cleaning....

Sadly, two days ago she finally succumbed to a mysterious illness.... nobody could find anything at all to indicate what it was despite x-rays and continuing blood work... She had not much interest in eating for the past few months and was losing a lot of weight... but my sister made every effort to entice her with every imaginable food many times a day. She was able to coax her to lick a bit on this and that.....and Tiffany did her very best to comply even if she seemed a bit confused that anybody would offer her so many food choices. She would look at her as if to say...okay Mom..I'll give it a try. She was still bright, alert and tried to play the "light" game with mirror reflected light ..or to jump up on to the picky post and bat around the little furry mouse... but did get quite tired and slept a lot in a special bed made for her in a quiet room. Her coat was still as luxurious as possible... which seemed a bit unusual if she was not healthy. It was all just weird.
We have all been down the road before. Finally forced to make gut wrenching decisions... and as Vikki said, "despite my best song and dance efforts"... Tiffer finally just told her it was time when she stopped eating and drinking anything at all. Her sweet vet and an assistant went to the house, gave Tiffany a sedative and then helped her to go gently to sleep for the last time. That's exactly how it went. It was completely peaceful and for that I am so grateful to those ladies. How I wish we could make the passing of humans as easy as that. It would be a blessing.
I cried for them both when I read the e-mail and then just cried myself to sleep... probably a little bit for me too, because I was not there to offer any help or any consolation. And, now.... a special little friend is gone.

She loved to hang out where you were.... looked at you with love in her heart....gave the best and gentlest little head bonkies and smeary soft kisses... ... had learned to play "tunes" on some miniature chimes for extra treats or just for the joy of hearing you say what a clever girl she was.... and then she would do it again and again for you. She had a soft and gentle purr-song when she sat on your chest and padded and picked at you like she was ever so gently plucking an expensive and beautiful harp....



























Tiffany was also a specialist in 24 hour a day caregiving. Seven years ago my sister fell and seriously injured her head. During months of lying nauseous and/or almost comatose on the couch.... just waiting to try to feel well enough to stand without vomiting or passing out.... Tiffany waited too.... she was a very special little nurse and totally instrumental in the final outcome of a long and frustrating journey back to the land of the living .....

How we'll miss your beautiful face....