Your Pet Loss Stories

by Laureano
(Panorama City, CA)

As long as I remember there have been cats in my life. Growing up my mother always had more than one cat. I did play with them, pet them and as mischievious child from time to time also played tricks on them.

As an adult I never had cats although I can't see a cat without a genuine desire to touch them, to say something, to feel their fur. I wish I had the place and the means to have a cat but living in an apartment with carpet and with allergy is something I cannot do.

Around the building where I live there are many cats. Could say they are wild and homeless. Thess cats never have human contact and mostly all run when one comes close. However, there was one different from all others. Hard to explain how among these cats that avoid human contact there was one that wanted and looked for it.

I began to notice the cat in the early mornings when going to work. He would be lying on a mat of one of the doors perhaps waiting and hoping that a friendly hand would caress him.

With days and weeks I got more attached to the cat. He will walk next to me everywhere. He would go with me to the mail box to get the mail, will go with me and stay far from the car when I left. He will come and greed me when I came from work. Going up the stairs to my flat he will be next to me, looking up and jumping at times trying to grab the hand with I pet him. In the mornings he will be at the door waiting to be fed.

Muchacho as I named him was a loving cat. He would hear the door and he would run and come miaowing. From time to time we let him inside the house to pet him. He was a loving cat.

This morning when I went out there was no Muchacho at the door. I was surprised. I look around and called him everywhere and only silence came back to me. Then, I looked at the alley and there it was, the cat. Muchacho was dead. The sad and outragious fact is that he was poisoned.
I never thought this could happen. Now I feel guilt because I could have taken this cat to a shelter and he would have made a nice pet and he would be alive.

Never thought how attached I was to Muchacho. I feel the loss but also the guilt....
How much joy a homeless cat can bring to you!

Beloved Muchacho....