We all must die, and, given that, I’d like to go like this woman did.
From a Planet Earth tweet, sad but sweet:
.
The original post, with a bit more explanation, is on reddit.
h/t: gravelinspector
A good way to go
August 21, 2013 • 11:32 am
Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
Awwww.
Beautiful, but heartbreaking.
Yes. Touching but heart-wrenching. We have two orange/ginger tabbies and I dare not show this to my wife. I had to get up and take a short walk to compose myself.
Awesome. Hard not to get a little emotional…
Damn onions.
Life gives you onions, make soup!
It’s a good thing that the cat wasn’t gay, because otherwise it probably wouldn’t have gotten hospital visitation privileges.
I would not mind to go like Michael Jackson. I mean, he went to bed, and up to this day is not aware that he had passed on.
No one is ever “aware that they’ve passed on.” I know what you mean, though.
One of my cave diving buddies described a particularly unpleasent afternoon spent about 2ft below the water-rock interface during an exploration dive. Loaded up with big air bottles, at very shallow depth … and he lost the line. (Translation from cave diving speak : “really, really, stupendously bad news”). After about 100 minutes of searching, he found the line again, and lived to tell the tale. Another few minutes and he’d have been writing his farewell messages on his slate. Watching your air gauge is not the most pleasent way of spending your last few minutes.
Or, a different story from underground,”try to land head-first ; it’s quicker that way”.
The running joke among my climbing buddies is, “I don’t know what my first words were, but I bet my last ones are ‘Oh Sh!t.'”
I want to be bear poop. Not necessarily killed by a bear, but I would prefer for a bear to scavenge my corpse.
To which:
“Grizzly bear droppings tend to smell of pepper.”
Maybe that’s the last tourist equipped with pepper spray that the grizzly had for lunch.
How good the two of them could be together no matter the circumstances. I’m glad policy or “this has never been done here” or so-called health concerns didn’t get in the way. Cats excel at this kind of care. They have a way of being there.
I’m helping to take care of three kittehs right now–Mabel, Daisy and Velvet. They know who I am but they are not often left alone and there is no doubt that they miss their “Mom”.
I’ll certainly think of this touching photograph when I go there later today to try to fill that hole in their lives. They are doing their best with me and two of them like their bellies rubbed (one has this lovely habit of falling to the floor just out of reach and rolling to show me she is ready). One miaws as I try to make up the difference and we “talk” about doing the best I/we can.
This is so touching! The cat seems to understand what it’s all about. It’s very good of the hospital staff not to be hung up about germs or protocol but just to allow the old lady perhaps the only pleasure she is still capable of.
It’s not nice to make grown men cry.
When I worked at hospice, pets were always welcome. At the hospital there are “No Pets Allowed” signs at the entry-ways, yet there is always opportunities to look the other way for those in chronic care & palliative care.
If I live long enough, I will die alone so I hope if I have pets, I’ll have them with me.
If you care for some company, please let us know, Diana.
Well, I also hope when I die I’ll have my own robot that is 3 laws safe! My worst fear is decrepitude so Japan needs to work on those robots for me!
A touching moment and it also made me think about the animal’s perspective. How much will the cat sense/understand of the lady’s passing? It brings to mind the poem by Wisława Szymborska that Jerry recently posted:
http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/07/13/caturday-felids-a-sad-poem-about-polish-cats/
The sad part is a family member can not just return her to the earth. The body will likely be destroyed or thrown into a concrete box just so someone can profit from the whole experience.
Having had to plant several friends this year, I’m really going to have to research alternatives before I need the information.
Very sad yet very wonderful at the same time. The dear lady looks quite at peace, as I suspect she was, because she knew her beloved kitteh was there.
What a wonderful, human, touching reminder of how simple it can be to bring great comfort to people when it is needed.
Thank you for posting this.
Cats and dogs have a mysterious ability to comfort those in need. I have seen it many times. Hospitals and nursing homes should have resident comfort pets.
Guys/girls
I didnt cry at the OP, but did frm your comments. Love you all….
Dust….there is dust in my house.
A truly beautiful photo. The peaceful and restful expression on her face is priceless.
And I noticed, this must have bumped up your respect for tweets a notch, enough to provide the vowels. 🙂
Wonderful, sad and poignant, all at once. Bravo to the hospital too.
I couldn’t say it any better.
When I saw the article, my parents’ cat was scratching at the door to go out. He was a stray kitten that showed up at their house and got himself adopted. After dad died from heart failure, I got the duty of taking mom for chemotherapy for her pancreatic cancer. He was a generally antisocial cat, but he would be waiting on us when I brought her home and curl up with her on the bed while she slept off some of the after affects.
After mom went home on hospice care and had a particularly rough night, he was hopping on the furniture, checking on her, and meowing (more like howling) when she was suffering. I promised mom he would have a home.
He’s still got a wild streak, but he’s turned into quite the lap cat – on his own terms. Oh, and if he had thumbs, I wouldn’t have to let him out – he stands on his back feet and tries to turn the doorknob when he really wants out.
Makes me think of my poor ma lying in a hospital bed – sans cat… :'(
Right on, as it should be.
That, too, is how I’d like to go. I’ve a few more cats, enough to surround me snuggly and well. The only other thing I’d was is assurance they will be just as loved and cared for, after I’m gone…
I have days left. My beloved is here too. God must be furry!
I work as an RN in a long-term care facility. Our second floor, primarily dementia residents, has two resident cats, and they have a remarkable ability to judge when people need them, and will spend time with the ones who do. We have had two resident deaths, very peaceful ones, where one of the kitties would spend hours curled up at the dying person’s feet, purring. We also have a policy of resident’s dogs coming in to visit, although I have yet to see a resident’s cat be brought in. I’m sure it would be allowed if requested.