Your Pet Loss Stories

by Cheryl
(Pleasant Grove, AL)

On June 28th 2009 I created my own heartache. I got up this morning and went out the back door before work to greet the cat and 2 kittens and make sure their bowl was full with food and they had fresh water. It was weird because not a single one came from under the deck to greet me like usual.

My husband and I acquired these 3 cats in different ways, but the 3 of them became a close family. I walked thru the house and to the front door heading out to work and here come all 3 cats prancing as if they had all just been on a field trip with the Momma (as she knows this neighborhood very well). I was happy to see them all and happy that they were learning to leave the back yard to the front and venture out with the Momma, this was new to them.

They came prancing to the front porch and our little charcoal kitten was easing her way to the back yard as she is still extremely shy. I get in the truck to head out and I ask my husband was there anything around? He said no. I start backing back and my husband hits the hood of the truck and I stop. I look at him to see what he may have forgotten and I see him throw his hands over his face. I knew one of my cats was under the truck. As my heart beats I'm yelling from the truck (too afraid to see for myself) which one? I ask again and he says the orange one. My heart instantly shattered.

Our orange cat was the 2nd to come to us. She was a kitten that had been abandoned in the corner of our yard in the flower bed. My husband heard her squealing at 1 o'clock in the morning as he was just making it in from work. Of course we grabbed her up and brought her in as she was only big enough to fit in the palm of one hand. The downstairs bathroom became her room and while we were not at work we let her get familiar with the house so she wouldn't be so scared.

Weeks passed and we started letting her go out on the front porch and meet the first cat (who we assumed was her Momma, as she was pregnant when we met her). We still can't say 100% if this was her Mom. Eventually they began to like each other and hang out on the front porch. We also acquired the charcoal kitten that we knew for sure was the Momma's and my husband suggested we move them all to the back yard where it was gated from other predators and they could freely move around. They loved it.

Our orange kitten and the charcoal kitten became fast friends as they were around the same age amd size, they frollicked around all 3 ate together and looked out for each other. We loved this because this orange kitten was the first kitten that me and my husband "saved" so to speak, and to now see her comfortable enough to stay outside as she now did with her hand picked family was awesome. It was awesome until yesterday.

After the incident the charcoal kitten ran back to her and it broke my heart even more because she is too shy to let anyone get near her yet when this happened she had turned around and ran back to her because she knew something was wrong. I ended the one thing that brought both of the kittens out of their shells. I cried and screamed all the way to work. I turned the truck around twice and went back to the house in disbelief. When I finally made it to work I stayed for a full hour and went back home.

This was the kitten that we nurtured from being frightened day in and day out, to being comfortable in the house, to even being frisky as we played with her all the time we could. This little angel had so much personality and was so funny, SHE was our pride and joy. She KNEW us because she lived with us before staying outside. This was our baby.

I buried her in the back yard because she was free in the back yard, I buried her there because all 3 cats loved it back there. I buried her there because for me in my heart I have to be able to say, when asked, that my cats are in the back yard and my little orange angel is included. I have to believe that her spirit still frollicks amongst the Momma cat who held her down and licked her until she was clean, and our shy charcoal kitty who gained a friend that she would run and wrestle with freely all through the day and night.

I told the cats I was sorry all day yesterday because their world has been altered too. I look at my orange angel's videos and pictures on my phone and just cry because she was so happy and such a frisky little cat. She was too cute, and much like a child to us with her quirky little attitude. Nothing or no other kitty can ever match this one. No kitty will ever replace My Little Orange Angel. Rest In Peace. We Love you!

Her owner,
Cheryl Noble
June 29th 2009