A TRIBUTE TO BOOBOO KITTY

Even with the state of the world in 2020, covid-19 surging and lockdowns happening without warning, we would have still had the opportunity to travel locally if we had chosen to. The strongest reason we decided not to- BooBoo Kitty, our 19 year old cat. Traveling when you own pets has some realities that are hard to work with sometimes. Perhaps there is separation anxiety (sometimes it’s not just the pet either), sometimes there are health issues, and sometimes it is finding someone you trust to watch your pet while you are away.

BooBoo Kitty

We have been in all of those anxiety inducing situations and currently, we are staying close to home to support our cat as he gets closer and closer to the end of his life. Truth is, we know he doesn’t have much time and that scares me more than anything, leaving home only to come home to find he had passed without us.

Last year Boo’s vet told us he was in stage 3 kidney failure. We were prepared to support him however we could for as long as we were able. This year, covid and all it’s pains aside, we have actually been very lucky to have been able to spend almost every day with Boo since we both have been working from home and travel of all sorts has been very limited. He has definitely made it more bearable being stuck inside for weeks on end. He got to go outside this summer for lots of time in the yard. He has eaten through many bags of treats, and he has spent lots of time making biscuits on his fuzzy blankets.

We have spent the last year carefully watching him, waiting for signs that his kidney failure was progressing, and last week we began to see some pretty stark signs. A trip to the vet told us he was now in stage 4 and his time was limited. I’d be lying if I said I have been able to hold myself together. There has been lots of crying. Anyone who has ever had pets or people they love knows what it’s like to feel the impending loss. We have been through this before but I think we both have know this particular loss is going to be especially hard.

I found BooBoo on the side of the road in the early spring of 2002. He was half frozen and barely a few weeks old. He is closing in on 19, a very long life for a cat. We’ve been lucky with him that his only health issue has been 1 UTI about 10 years ago. He has lived a life that I’m proud of, always being treated like the little prince he is. Having a pet for 19 years is really something special. It makes me think back to all the things he has experienced with us. He has moved to countless new homes, met so many people, and been a part of all of our ups and downs.

Marcus and I started dating in December 2001, so BooBoo has literally been with us through it all. I’m definitely grateful we have had so much good time with him and he’s a soul I’m really going to miss. I truly miss him already. He is in the kitty hospice stage, taking daily pain meds and being coaxed into eating a little food. His spirit is fading, which breaks my heart.

I know no matter where our life takes us in the coming years, he’ll be there is spirit. Having had the honor of being his parents for 19 years, he has really helped shape us into the people we are today. I’ll probably always be a cat mom in some capacity. All the good years and the memories are worth the pain of loss in this moment. I’m so blessed to have been able to share my love with so many pets over the years, and even when we’ve said our last goodbye, we know ho much more beauty our lives have had because of them.