Mourning the loss

I started off Friday morning with some horrible news; just a few minutes before my alarm was set to go off, my mom woke me up to tell me that she had found our 13 year-old cat, Mariner, in my sister's room. He had passed away.

Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I have a soft spot for animals. I could never imagine treating them with anything but the love and respect they deserve (a reason why I've struggled so much lately with being an omnivore). The many animals who have been a part of my life over the years have enriched it more than I could say, and losing one is always a horrible experience. Nearly two years ago, we had to put down our beloved 12 year-old Chow mix, Hershey. I was away at college, and so wasn't home to say goodbye or help bury her in the backyard. We've lost two other cats, but not in this way: our first pet, a black cat called Puff, ran away when we moved from Maryland to Pennsylvania; and the other, the spunky, talkative, and affectionate Tigger, went into the woods one night and never came back.

So, this instance is different. I am home, and the experience is visceral. There is blood on my sister's carpet in the corner where my mother found Mariner that morning. Before going to work I had to pass the body of my pet in the garage, where he was wrapped in a flannel blanket until we could bury him in this frigid, frosty ground. I pet him through the blanket and sobbed for a good five minutes until I could tear myself away. Then, I cried halfway to work, and again once I got there, when I called my sister, who is away at college herself now.

Yesterday morning we buried him, just beside Hershey, who he always treated as his mama. The three of us took turns to cover him gently with the cold earth. I think today is a good instance to reflect upon the animals who have touched our lives, or just to reflect on those we've lost who have meant so much for us. For now, I'll just try to be grateful that I got to share so many years of my life with this wonderful creature.

Yes, I'm that girl who takes too many pictures of her cat. But wasn't he purrty?

 Rest in peace, Boo boo kitty.