Eliana...

I just wanted to take a moment to share that we had to put sweet Eliana down yesterday afternoon. She was an Applehead Lynx Point Siamese and was most definitely the matriarch of our little household.

A month ago we had to take Eliana to the Animal Emergency Hospital, then a few days later we had to put our senior dog Molly to sleep. After Eliana was doing fairly well and I will maintain she still got excited to eat, enjoyed being groomed, was fastidious about her appearance, and still jumped, ran, and occasionally would even play. I am sad to report that about 1:00 pm yesterday afternoon Eliana had a seizure, then about 2:00 pm had another and didn't stop seizing until we got her to the vet and she had to put her down. The vet suspected she may have had a brain tumor. She was nearly 18 years old, 15 of them I was blessed to have her in my life.

The logical part of me recognizes that having a pet includes the gift of letting them go, but the emotional part of me is saying she was my last original cat (meaning before Phil entered my life), and I just wasn't ready to say goodbye. I knew her time was nearing the end, but wasn't prepared for the trauma of these seizures. I had prayed that she would go in her sleep. The vet said she was scared and confused at not being able to control her body's movements. But, I actually believe that it was just that, her body was experiencing that, but her spirit wasn't suffering and was somehow already beginning her journey. My beliefs are that we do meet up again and I found this poem that is kind of soothing to me.

Poem For Cats

And God asked the feline spirit

Are you ready to come home?

Oh, yes, quite so, replied the precious soul

And, as a cat, you know I am most able

To decide anything for myself.

Are you coming then? asked God.

Soon, replied the whiskered angel

But I must come slowly

For my human friends are troubled

For you see, they need me, quite certainly.

But don't they understand? asked God

That you'll never leave them?

That your souls are intertwined.

For all eternity?

That nothing is created or destroyed?

It just is....forever and ever and ever.

Eventually they will understand,

Replied the glorious cat

For I will whisper into their hearts

That I am always with them

I just am....forever and ever and ever.

Author Unknown

Signs -- I had a very hard time getting out the door yesterday morning. My hair dryer plug was pinched and I couldn't straighten it out easily, then my hair didn't work and I needed to rewash it and start all over, and I even said to my co-worker, I just don't understand why I had a hard time getting out the door. Well, now I know and maybe should have listened or recognized the signs. I wouldn't have had to travel and had I been here, we could have been able to get her to the vet more rapidly. That is my only regret, that she did suffer some and was scared as she had those seizures.

The Gang -- So, the evening and day today is spent w/the four footed gang glued to my side. First they searched for Eliana, but then I think they tried to comfort Phil and I as we try to comfort them.