Pandemic Journal – Saying Goodbye to Paris the Cat

“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.” – Ernest Hemingway.

I buried my cat yesterday. I chose a spot in a perennial garden bed. next to Buster, her former nemesis. I placed some sprigs of rosemary on her body as a sign of remembrance. 

This was my daughter’s cat whom she named Paris, after the city not the hotel heiress. At the time she was living in an apartment in Medford. I was introduced to the cat about 15 years ago when I received my daughter’s  frantic request to retrieve her from the the animal hospital. 

Paris was having a strange reaction to the anesthesia they used while being spayed. Instead of being sedated she was injuring her nose while rubbing against her cage.

When I arrived they handed me the carrier with this loopy cat rubbing her poor nose on the metal grate. After I got into the car I had the brilliant idea of freeing her to prevent further injury.  That went well. Driving around in traffic with a stoned cat wandering around on the dashboard. I’ve never had a good sense of direction  and managed to get lost trying to get back to the apartment. Paris was a good sport about it all and eventually her nose healed.

Emily’s Stroke

My daughter suffered a right frontal stroke just before her birthday in 2005. It was a scary time for all of us. Thankfully the clot broke up with no permanent damage. I stayed at her apartment in Medford as she underwent treatment, sleeping on the floor on an air mattress. Paris seemed delighted to see me. Cats have no awareness of human sleep cycles. She would think nothing of attacking my feet at 3 AM or walking over my face. It was such a stressful time for  us and the company of a playful cat made it so much easier. It wouldn’t be the last time she would act as a comfort animal.

Paris Moves In (Buster is not happy)

Cats have always been a part of my life. Some like Twinkie and Pickles just appeared on the kitchen door one day and moved in. They were both great cats. Buster was the cat that my daughter had in college. She gave him to me after she graduated. He wasn’t good with socializing with cats. He was friendly with humans but was bit of a bully. Twinkle and Pickles could keep him in line. Pickles was much smaller but could kick his ass. However he drove away Sam who only stayed a short while. When Paris arrived, Buster obsessed over her and spent every waking moment tormenting her.

I tried several strategies with Buster. I used the Feliway facial pheromone product, female hormones and even Amitriptyline. a tricyclic antidepressant. Buster still maintain his aggression toward Paris, even chewed off part of her left ear (visible in photo below).

The Golden Years

I had to euthanize Buster in May of 2016 after multiple kidney infections and complications. I was sad to see him go but Paris had a different reaction. It took her a few days but her spirits soared when she saw she had free reign of the house. She became my constant companion. She would sit on my lap while I was working from home on the computer. She met me at the door when I came home and followed me from room to room. She also woke me daily at 4 AM.  That is actually a very nice time of day. If I didn’t wake with the vocalizations she discovered that putting a paw in my mouth was very effective. I pretended to be upset by this.

The Pandemic

It is such a sad time in our country with so much death. Memorial Day  featured photos of  President playing golf.  100,000 dead Americans and no National Day of Mourning. I joked that my cat was my emotional support animal but it wasn’t a joke. I was heartbroken when I saw how labored her breathing had become.  Ironically the Veterinarians had to give her oxygen before they stopped her heart. Her symptoms mimicked those  of COVID-19. Due to a “social distancing” policy I wasn’t permitted to be with her at the end. I hate this disease.

Two Ravens

As I waited outside the Veterinary Hospital for my cat’s body I heard two ravens overhead. I watched them circle high in the sky vocalizing to each other. It seemed to be sign of some kind of passage. I like to think that they are welcoming another animal spirit home.