Your Pet Loss Stories

'My Darling Korky'

by Jenny
(Westgate)

I have had Korky and Saffron, brother and sister since they were 12 weeks old. They were very close but as they grew older they developed a love, hate relationship, but always there for one another in stressful times, such as going to a cattery.

Saffron is a soft, quiet, tortoiseshell cat. She loves her home and people. Korky was a vibrant, hands on tactile black and white handsome male. I always knew which one was coming through the cat flap. Saffron would mess around and finally get through but Korky just crashed through and threw himself on the floor and rolled over for attention.

Everyone knew him, mainly at the vets! He was accident prone, although I suspect most injuries came from play fights with his sister. He loved his food and lying in the sun and loved running for a ball. I've spent many a cold winters day in the garden with him. He loved to be with me out there.

A week ago I came home from work and he wasn't in and just the silence told me something was wrong. I slept for one hour that night and was out first light looking for him. After calls to local vets I located him at his own vet's surgery. He had been knocked down that Friday afternoon and some kind person had taken him in. He was bright in himself but the back legs weren't looking good.

I went to see him and he chirped when he saw me and his beautiful eyes lit up when he smelt the fish I had cooked and taken in. I stayed and brushed him and spoke to the vet who was pleased with recovery so far but concerned about his legs.

Two days later Korky was tranferred to another vet who did extensive tests on the spine to discover how badly damaged it really was. An operation would give a 50/50 chance and the vet was very concerned about the outcome. We discussed it and I decided that I must let Korky go. I held his beautiful head and kissed him and thanked him for all the years of love and fun then watched him slip away.

I have never felt such pain in my life. I don't want to come home at night. I miss him calling out and running to meet me, then racing through the garden to beat me home. I miss seeing his naughty face looking through the door at me and the smell of his fur after coming in on a cold frosty night. And I am dreading the Summer when we would share the garden bench in the sunshine.

Korky was 9 years old and had so much more to give. I have shed a lifetimes worth of tears these past few days. I have the most wonderful friends who have rallied round me and my family have been so supportive and even neighbours have sent me cards but nothing replaces him and I know I have to bear this grief alone.

I am collecting his ashes next week and will wait till early one morning in the Spring when the birds are up but humans are still asleep and I will scatter his ashes on the grass under our garden bench so he can enjoy the sunshine and always be free. My beautiful handsome Korky cat.