Boojie - From Alone to Loved

by Janie
(Greenwood, MS)

I was 8 years old and visiting my grandmother in the next town over with my mother, father, and brother. There was a beautiful, fluffy, older, tabby cat wandering around their yard. She would approach me and allow me to pet her, but seemed nervous and confused. I begged my parents relentlessly to let me take her home. My grandmother said that the cat came from the house behind her and the owners had moved, leaving their cat behind. Well, they gave in and allowed me to take her home.

She yelled and screamed the entire way back to our home and I was terrified she would try to return to what she knew as home. She did run away one good time, when my father was allowing her to use the restroom outside, but she returned, happier than ever to be with loving people again. We never established truly how old she was when we adopted her, but the vet guesstimated that she was about 8-10 years old. She lived until I was 16, so she was approximately 16-18 years old when we put her to sleep.

She lived a long, spoiled rotten life with us and we only put her under when she could no longer see (cataracts in both eyes) and could no longer find her potty or food. It was the most painful day I've experienced to date having to make that choice, but I knew she was better off "sleeping" than suffering in our physical world. As a final note, I definitely believe that she is in heaven and I'm certain she is still with me in spirit, as I've caught glimpses of her out of the corner of my eye, or heard her meow long after she was gone. I know she is waiting for me in heaven and I cherish the thought that I will be reunited with her at some point.