or perhaps in the pre-dawn hours this morning. I can’t really say.
She was named Mrs. Whatsit–not after the poster, but the character in the Madeleleine L’Engle novel A Wrinkle in Time. I’m trying to be objective, rational, and smart-assed about it, as she was merely a cat, not a person, but I miss her and I’m sad.
I have no idea what happened. She has the run of the back yard, as it’s fenced, and so goes in and out during the night, as cats are wont to do. Anyway, I was taking the garbage this morning when I saw her lying under the big trees in our back yard. There wasn’t a mark on her; there was nothing to indicate that she had been done any violence; there was no vomit or feces that might indicate that she had been poisoned somehow. She just wasn’t breathing.
So this sucks. I’ve been trying to be a smart-ass all morning, but every joke I make rings hollow.
Also, Kim gets home from the hospital today, and this is not a bit of news I want her presented with on her first day out.
Being sad is very normal. Cats especially worm their way into your life. It’s part of their secret cat plan to take over the world. Hearts and Minds, ya know?
My condolences. We’re still trying to get past ours that died last week. Just like that, laid down and died right in front of my wife and I.
I’m so sorry, Skald. Maybe she was just a cat, but she was part of your family too.
Ms. Whatsit is a great name.
Our little Sid, a fluffy orange tabby, had diabetes but we didn’t know it. He had no symptoms (really) until he died. I still miss that little furball.
Mrs. Whatsit was three. She was, appropriately for a cat belonging to me, a greedy & mean little monster who loved Kim & my nieces and yet took sadistic pleasure in murdering birds & mice in the most grisly fashion possible. The world’s lucky she didn’t have thumbs.
Kim is bipolar and had a depressive episode a few weeks back that necessitated some time. I didn’t mention it here because
I don’t know why, actually. I started to about a dozen times but always stopped myself. I kind of like Skald to be this silly idiot who frequently needs to be slapped with a wet trout, and talking about bipolar is hard and also drama-queenish. It’s taken me five minutes to write this damn paragraph.
I can’t decide whether to bury the body before I go get Kim. Part of me thinks she doesn’t need to see it, and part of me thinks I would be patronizing and condescending to make that decision unilaterally, and part of me just doesn’t want to do it.
I can relate, but don’t hold back if you don’t want to. Dopers are very supportive on these kind of things. I’m sorry about both Kim and the cat. If you’re not sure what to do with Mrs. Whatsit, I’d suggest putting her in a small box with a small blanket or something on top. You can show Kim if she says she wants to see it or just bury her if not, and it’s a bit more respectful than leaving the cat where you found her.
Might I suggest you get a box ready, wrap Mrs. Whatsit in a blanket or old shirt so she looks comfortable in the box and have the hole ready for the burial. I think that way she is ready to be buried and Kim can decide for herself if she wants to see her one last time.
Three is young. I lost two dogs when they were only three and it was terrible. My first cat made it to 10 thankfully and my second kitty is still with us at age 17 now.
Condolences to you both - that happened to a young cat of mine, Beelzebub. He was about a year and a half old, right as rain, no problems at all. One morning he was dead, nothing to indicate why. Since we had other cats we took him to the vet to make sure it was nothing that could affect them and it turns out he had a heart defect, poor little guy.
Marley, What Exit?, thanks for the suggestion of the blanket & box; it’s a good one.
Naturally the other Rhymers are beginning to chime in. My father’s insisting insisting that I bury Mrs. Whatsit before Kim gets home. One of my sisters is insisting just as strongly that I let Kim see the body first. No, now two of them are insisting that, and two of the others are insisting that Dad is right, and the one sane one is staying out of it.
I am sick of all of them. If it weren’t for my stepdaughter & nieces & nephew I’d toss the lot of them out of my life.
This is going to ruin what should have been a nice relaxing homecoming.
Skald
My condolences regarding your cat - that’s a very difficult and emotional thing, and at a less-than-optimal time for you.
We appreciate your usual goofy behaviour, but we also give a damn about you and Kim, so break out of the mold when you need to.
A modification of the plan might be to have the box hidden away a bit, and see how Kim’s reaction to the news seems to be running before you say what exactly has happened with the body.
I’m so sorry. What a tough situation to be on, not only for the loss but for the timing (not that there’s ever GOOD timing to lose a pet, but you know what I mean, I think). I ditto the idea of the box with the blanket but not presented immediately upon Kim’s return.
