I am deeply saddened to announce the death of one of our readers’ cats. Flippy, the beloved master of biologist Sarah Crews (who has contributed readers’ wildlife photos to the daily feature), was euthanized last Wednesday after a long bout of illness of unknown cause.
Flippy was 12 or 13.
She was a beautiful female sealpoint snowshoe, and Sarah has memorialized her on her website Crews Control in a post called “Flippy’s Story.” The post was actually written when Flippy was in bad shape but not yet dead, and it looked as though she would have to be “put to sleep”. And she was, shortly thereafter.
My condolences to Sarah. Losing a long-time pet isn’t all that different from losing a human friend. In fact, it can be just as bad.
My deepest condolences for your loss, Ms. Crews. I’ve been there far too many times and it never gets any easier. Best wishes to you.
I’m so sorry, Sara. Thanks for giving Flippy the foreverhome she so obviously deserved and got. Damned shame their tenure in said foreverhomes is so far short of forever….
b&
My sympathies to Sara. I lost two of my own over the last year — Puff, aged 13, in November and another, Felix, aged 14, in August. But I still have Julie my 19 year old Greek tabby (as in I found her while living in Crete, Greece, in October 1995) and Miles, a black cat I found on my doorstep this past January.
I’m sorry for your loss Sara. Animals become family and best friends, and it hurts to lose someone you love.
Remember the good times, the happiness and the love.
I’m sorry for your loss, Sarah. Flippy was lucky to have such a caring friend.
Thank you everyone…I lost my other cat, Kitty McKitterson Esq. just 6 mos. ago, also very suddenly. We certainly don’t have a cat shortage because of a feral colony outside (though several aren’t feral and hang around inside, but won’t be made to stay inside). I still miss them a lot. Whereas Kitty was very loud and his absence was noticeable, Flippy was very quiet and for a few days I kept going to routinely visit her in the bedroom when I got up for water or whatever. Anyway, thanks for the support.
So sorry 🙁
Sorry to hear this. 🙁 Other animals are often closer to us than humans.
I’ve been thinking of getting a cat my son knows a guy who takes care of them.Told him a want a kitten will see if he comes through.Sorry to hear know how you feel.We lost a dog and every time i eat meat i think about the scraps i gave him.
Sincere condolences on the loss of your beautiful Flippy. I hope that you will be able to take some comfort in the knowledge that you acted in her best interests. (I have been there (& will be again), & know how incredibly difficult it is).
I believe euthanizing a beloved pet is truly one of the most painful things we pet-lovers can go through. Many condolences to you and yours. Flippy was a beautiful cat. Only time can heal the deep pain, but the good memories you have can be used as a buoy. Take care during this difficult time.
Part of owning a pet is outliving them, sometimes lots of them over a lifetime. So, it’s love and loss. When Samantha died in 1995, I wrote a eulogy to her, and said ‘she is everywhere and nowhere’. We were catless for 10 yrs, and Carla has been organising us for 10yrs. So condolences for the loss of Flippy – hope your grieving journey goes OK.
The best book I know on grieving is below. Unfortunately, it’s not on the kindle app.
http://www.amazon.com/Survive-Loss-Love-Peter-McWilliams/dp/0931580439
I am very sorry for your loss, Diana. I agree that this book is the best.
Nothing brings you more joy than a cat in the house and nothing can fill the emptiness when she is gone.
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful companion with us.
So sorry for your loss, Sarah. Beautiful kitty.
I think our last kitty still cries for her late sibling.
I’m so sorry, Sarah. What a beautiful–and interesting!–cat.
Your write-up was wonderful and it was so human of you to care for her and love her despite–or because of–her quirks.
My son & his girlfriend also have a phantom cat; I’ll have to send them Flippy’s story.
Oh, dear. Such sad news. I’m truly sorry. Been through the same thing several times. It always hurts. She was beautiful.
The euthanizing of Boris who was suffering from a second bout of cancer and was in obvious pain and in his last days was the right thing to do, but it was the worst day of my life – so far. And, I’ve had some horrible days.
Sandy, who died at 21 years, passed away peacefully in the kitchen by his food bowl after having one final pee and a chomp of tuna. He had been sleeping 21 hours a day or more and finally snored himself out.
After having 2 pass so quickly and around the same time, I wondered if anyone ever was “lucky enough” to not have to euthanize…like they just peacefully pass. I guess the downside is you don’t get to “say goodbye,” but the euthanizing is really rough I think. Luckily we got to bring both of ours home and have someone come over. They hated being away so it was nice to bring them home.
Losing your cat is one of the hardest things that happens. I’m not sure why we keep getting more but we can not help it.
We had a cat once, almost exactly like yours. The name was Butterburr and she had the same white feet and all. She made it 17 years starting in 1976 and did a lot of traveling too. From Omaha to Dallas to Alameda, Ca. to Hawaii and back to Texas. Had to do four months in quarantine in Hawaii back then, it was just like jail.
Maybe for lots of us you can’t begin to get over the loss until you get another cat and there are lots of cats out there that need a good home.
Butterburr is a great cat name.
What a wonderful tribute to a special cat. Sounds as though you were lucky to have found each other. Sincere sympathy for your loss.
I loved my Kitty, my dearest friend and companion, who can never be replaced. She stayed with me through poverty, deaths of loved ones, difficult pregnancies, divorce and re-marriage. She was mauled by a pack of stray Chows shortly after we moved to a new house. We took her to the emergency vet, but they called me at work in the morning and said she would never recover and should be euthanized. I cried so much they sent me home. After a suitable mourning, my son brought me a tiny scrap of fur, fleas and ants that had been deserted in an empty field. I kept him with me all the time until he was weened and old enough to be left alone (he fit nicely in my purse when I went to work.) I named him Polly because he would only sleep on my shoulder (this was very pleasant until he hit 25lbs.) He died of kidney failure after, for him anyway, a long and good life. When I couldn’t be consoled, my husband brought me the newborn kitten that had been trapped in his office wall.
I love my family very much, but some of us seem to need to have that special connection with a different species. And though I’ve always had multiple cats in my life (and many dearly loved k9s that we never mention here), there are always the few that seem to become a part of us. My heart bleeds for you and I wish I could do more to help.