A nearby neighbour i don't know called when he saw my missing cat sign. He saw kitty by the side of the road. An orange one. Hoped it wasn't mine but....
It was dark when he called, and dark when i drove past. I couldn't see anything.
I got up this morning, walked to the end of my street (i'm the first house on the left, so the end of the street is close by), turned left, and directly across Mr and Mrs H's driveway, but on my side of the road, i saw a familiar shade of orange. It was Jim.
Thankfully, whoever hit him either had done so at the edge of the road or had kindly moved him.
Himself is away, and while i've got the hole dug, i can't bring myself to go collect Jim's body. I've a call into my kind neighbour up the street, who has helped me dispatch moles, voles, and chipmunks the cats have brought me. I've gotten a lot better about dispatching those myself, but i think i need help with this. He and his wife are out and about someplace, but i've left a phone message asking them to call me back.
Helluva way to meet a neighbour.
I am grateful for the closure.
I am grateful that this was a mercifully quick way to go.
I am grateful i made up the signs and that someone took the time to call me.
In some respects, it does not make the heartbreak easier, as it's always sad to say good-bye to a furfriend, but when i hear awful stories of unspeakable things, i am so very grateful Jim was spared that.
I'll never know why he ventured near that busy, busy road, as i yelled at him the two times i saw him venturing out on our much quieter street, and he'd run from the front yard into the back if a loud car or truck went past. I could drive myself crazy with maybes, but why bother? It's moot.
Thank you, Jim, for your sense of fun, forgiving and loving nature, and light.
Oh, I am so sorry to hear that, Megan. Poor you and poor Jim.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much, Tom, although i believe Jim is in another happy place. The kind neighbour returned my phone call and did indeed help me. He's a retired minister, and i found myself saying to him, "Humans need a saviour, but animals do not. They seem to be connected to the Almighty from the getgo and never really lose touch." He agreed.
DeleteI'm sad for me as my furfriends are as much a part of my family as any humans have been. I'm sad that Jim's life was so brief. But, he died full of life, and enjoying every bit of it. One minute here, the next minute gone. I hope i can die that well.
I am so sorry Jim did not make his way back home. I know you gave him a beautiful pillowcase for a shroud.
ReplyDeleteActually, Joanne, i used an old navy blue bedsheet and lined the wheelbarrow with it then wrapped it around him. It was a comfy sheet and the reason it was retired from use was because of the holes from kitties' claws. I placed some rosemary and cat nip in the hole, too, as he liked to chew on both. Forgot about the twist-ties until after we'd tamped everything down.
DeleteThat's very sad. Poor old Jim. My Freddie sleeps curled up in my 'lap' at night, and the thought of something happening to him is always present. Nine lives reduced to one.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jim seemed to have used up his nine lives very quickly. I wanted to bury him under the 60 foot hemlock he climbed for a lark and meowed hallo to me as i was gathering the wash on the line, but the roots made digging the hole there difficult.
DeleteIn the last fortnight, he stayed out a few nights all night and i heard either coyotes or wolves howling, owls hooting (great horned owls here can take cats as prey), and then there was the snake that i thought he killed, but it slithered away (about 2.5 ft milk snake), and the multiple times he climbed on top of the wood shed and threw himself off (easily 8 feet).
Oh, and the meeting up with a skunk where he got good and sprayed. He still had a faint skunk odour when his fur got wet. And getting up close to the turkeys and falling in behind them as they marched along single file. The flock could have pulled him apart in three minutes.
And that's only the stuff i knew about.
I'm very sorry.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I've just caught up with this. I am very sorry. I have only cried a few times in my life and all but one occasion was when I was burying a dog of mine.
ReplyDelete