|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:04:20 GMT -5
Hi everyone, by the title of this post, you know the sad news I am about to relate. Trilly, my loyal cat of 12 years, has passed away at the age of 14 (the vet estimated her birth year of 1998, which would be two years before she found her way to my house). If she were human, that would have made her well over 90. She had a good life, but God, I miss her. This apartment seems so empty now.
For the last few days, she has lain under my bed. She refused to eat and hardly ever moved. The few times I saw her walking, I noticed she was stumbling, like she was getting weaker. To see my once vibrant cat like that broke my heart.
Today, I took her to the vet. I had the doctor lay it out for me, what was wrong with Trilly was simply old age. She wasn’t going to get any better, just the opposite, she would get weaker and weaker until her organs started to fail. I couldn’t let that happen, I loved her too much to just let her waste away like that. So, I had to make the decision no pet owner wants to make, I had to ask the doctor to put Trilly to sleep. I had to realize this was better for her, better to release her from life, if she could not enjoy it anymore (these past fews days she was existing, not living).
For 12 years, Trilly always slept at my side, and now she’s gone. I could get another cat, but how do you replace a member of the family, which Trilly was. I’m just not ready for that.
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:07:26 GMT -5
I have been a cat owner all my life, and so I may be biased here. However, you gotta love cats. They say dogs are humanity's best friend, but I disagree. I'll always say cats any day. One thing that has always bugged me is that cats, for the most part, get a raw deal in cartoons. Why is that? Why are some cartoons so anti-cat? Maybe it's just me, but I always wished Sylvester would catch that obnoxious little b*stard, Tweety and eat him! Of course, not all cats are losers in cartoons, Garfield comes to mind here, but for the most part, cats are always cast as villains. I enjoy the cat I have now, Tatiana (named in honour of my favourite Romanov Grand Duchess). As some of you may know, I have videos of her, links to which you'll find in the Video Arcade section of this board. She really makes me happy. I'm glad I adopted her last year. That day, when I went to my local Humane Society and saw her, something about her clicked with me and I said: "This is the cat I want." The rest is history. Everyone who has met her likes her. One friend of mine said she wanted to take Tatiana home with her Anyone else got some cat stories to share?
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:08:22 GMT -5
Betty:
Amanda:
Betty:
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:11:50 GMT -5
That's why I like Garfield so much. Nice to see a cat win for a change.
The Ancient Egyptians got it right when they worshipped cats (they had a cat goddess named Bastet). In those days, harming a cat could be considered a capital offense.
That is a nice story, Amanda. Kit Kat, a name that could be connected to Charmed (since Kit was the name of the Halliwell's cat/familiar).
Now, I don't hate dogs, I just prefer cats. A cat is much easier to look after. All you have to do is feed them, and clean the litter box every couple of days and you're good to go.
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:12:45 GMT -5
Betty:
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:13:15 GMT -5
I remember seeing The Arisocats many years ago, however, I'm not familiar with Cats Don't Dance (looked it up on Wikipedia). But you're right in that they break away from the usual "cats are mean" trope.
As I said, I always like Sylvester. It must be the cat lover in me. After all, he just wanted to eat, and cats do eat birds and mice (although if a cat is well fed, they tend to just give them an interested glance). Should poor Sylvester be punished because he wanted to find a meal? Did the animators think a starving cat was funny? If I met Sylvester, I'd feed him.
Back in the early 90's, a hungry stray cat found his way to my back porch. I began feeding him. Despite already having two cats, I took him in. My other two cats accepted him without problem and soon he became part of the household, where he happily lived for seven years.
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:14:12 GMT -5
Betty:
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:16:55 GMT -5
Because according to those shows, cats are mean, cats are villains, so they deserve to starve and be beaten up by dogs (the bull dog that Sylvester always tangled with comes to mind here). Cruelty to animals is not funny, even when you show other animals doing it (like the aforementioned bull dog).
Of course, these cartoons were made decades ago. Back then there wasn't as much focus on animal cruelty than there is now.
Sad but true. My current cat, Tatiana, was such a stray, before she ended up at the Humane Society (which I am a proud supporter of).
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:18:29 GMT -5
Amanda:
Betty:
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:19:00 GMT -5
That is sadly true. Letting a cat out is taking a chance with their life.
Luckily, Tatiana is a full time indoor cat. Of course, a live in an apartment (on the top floor of my building), so letting her out is not an option, even if I wanted to.
Birds and mice are cute!? The same birds that cr*p all over peoples cars? The same mice that spread disease.
Going back to your earlier comments about how cats were burned as evil in Medieval Europe, some say this caused the rat population to increase (since there were less cats to kill them), which helped spread the Black Death (which was carried by mites on the rats) that wiped out half the continent. Talk about Karma!
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:19:54 GMT -5
Betty:
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:22:44 GMT -5
Looks like people learned from that mistake. In sixteenth century, King Henry VIII of England proclaimed that cats should roam free (to keep the rat population down).
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:23:22 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:24:12 GMT -5
Betty:
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Aug 18, 2016 1:24:34 GMT -5
That sounds exactly like what happened to me in the early 90's. Looks like another stray cat has found a loving home.
Thrown out a window!? People who would do that to a cat (or any animal) do not deserve to live.
|
|