Sweetie Pie Turner, here.
Amidala’s MaMA is my mom’s daughter, but I call her MomGoth. That’s because she’s like a second Mom to me, and because, no matter what else she’s feeling, she’s always a little sad underneath. No particular reason; she just is.
She does have a reason this week, though: She had to let Amidala go to the Rainbow Bridge. Amidala and Munchkin are two kitties that MomGoth adopted a couple of years ago, after their Daddy passed away. I broke the news here on November 1, 2014. Amidala was 15 and Munchkin, a stray, was probably a couple of years older.
MomGoth was crazy about them. Even Charlie, who isn’t all that crazy about animals in the house, came to love them — in his Uncle Grumpypants way.
Munchkin was hyperthyroid; when MomGoth and the vet got that cleared up, it was plain the Muncher had lots of other problems and, rather than drag him through attempts to prolong a life that was an obvious misery, MomGoth let him go.
Lately, Amidala stopped eating. She had … well, it isn’t nice to talk about, but she had intestinal parasites. Clearing them out helped for a few days, but then she went back to not eating. She stopped cuddling with MomGoth and hid out in the bathroom.
The vet checked Ami’s blood and examined her, and gave MomGoth the bad news: kidney dysfunction. At Ami’s age, the prognosis wasn’t good and it wasn’t long. So MomGoth made that hard choice again.
The vet said — and doesn’t this just sound like Ami? — that Amidala was “mouthy, but good.” The vet said that usually if a cat was mouthy it was fighting, and if it was still and compliant it was quiet. Amidala yowled and growled and hissed and fussed, but let the vet and the tech do whatever they needed to do.
When MomGoth was going through Ami’s papers, she learned that the name Amidala had originally been adopted with was Heidi! Ami never said! I think she liked it that her Daddy changed her name to the name of a queen, don’t you?
Charlie dug another hole back by the playhouse, and Ami (17) joined Munchkin (17+), Al (18), Katya (14), and Tiffany (19). I’m only 10, so I don’t expect to take my place back there for a good, long while!
Oh — Ami left me her scratching posts. Here I am with them. I had just been playing with them when MomGoth got her camera. In honor of Ami and all cats everywhere, I immediately stopped doing what she wanted to get a picture of.
And here’s a Gallery of Munchkin and Amidala.
A WRITING PROMPT FOR ANIMALS: What do you think is on the other side? Do you think there’s really a Rainbow Bridge?
SPT
Jane
April 9, 2016 at 9:27amA good tribute to a fine lady.
I think if I pass on to an Afterward where I don’t get a reunion with my old friends, that I will have to just mosey on.
Marian Allen
April 9, 2016 at 1:14pmYeah. If there’s an afterlife without animals and I don’t care, that won’t really be Me, anyway.
Elvira Mistress of Felinity
April 9, 2016 at 10:14amDear Sweetie and human family….
I and Daddy Kiril were quite shocked at the news on Mom Marian’s FB, the other day and decided to wait until today to really express ourselves.
We, as well as Sneakers and Friday wish to send hugs, purrs and purrayers of condolence to you all during this sad time.
Daddy Kiril & I had just been planning the return of the Feline News Network updates, with its submissions from Roving Reporters such as you and Ami, but now you will have to represent alone.
Miss you Ami!
As for the writing prompt….We all do believe in RB, here, yes, indeed!
Marian Allen
April 9, 2016 at 1:29pmThank you, Miss Elvira, and thanks to your Daddy Kiril and your sisters, Sneakers and Friday. Having good kitty friends like you makes letting go hurt just a little bit less. It also helps to think about how glad Ami’s Daddy Ed was to see her again. And Munchkin, too, of course!
Dan Antion
April 9, 2016 at 10:46amA nice tribute Marian. I saw the title in my inbox and almost didn’t want to come read this. I am so sorry. We’ve lost several pets, and it’s never easy. It’s OK to be sad. I love that he cat stopped playing for the picture – they do that all the time around here, too.
Marian Allen
April 9, 2016 at 1:31pmI hear you about almost not wanting to come read today’s post, Dan. That’s why I let Sweetie Pie write the post instead of doing it myself. I was afraid I’d get all sloppy and blubbery, but you can always trust a cat to stay clear-eyed, even in the face of strong emotion. It’s one of the things I love about them.
Tessabelle French
April 9, 2016 at 7:01pmMy Mom, Kat, is away in North Carolina for work right now. I tried sitting on her suitcase to keep her from going, but she got the message about as well as she does when I sit on her purse to keep her from running off to some coffeeshop. She’s a little dense at times, tbh.
Our deepest condolences to Sweetie Pie, MomGoth and all from everyone at the Grey Cottage – and Mama Kat in Carolina.
Marian Allen
April 10, 2016 at 8:06amThank you, Tessabelle. Amidala used to sit on MomGoth to keep her from getting up. She used to sit straight up on MomGoth’s lap so she couldn’t see her computer screen, because Ami didn’t want MomGoth to strain her eyes, you know. They just won’t listen, will they?