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Sheila (1987-April 2002)
Countless other cats looked just like her; a black and brown striped tabby with big, expressive green eyes. But looks can be very deceiving, as no other cat in the world was like my Sheila. Although initially skittish as a kitten, having lived on the streets of Brooklyn before I found her, she eventually became the sweetest, most loving creature imaginable. She was with me for every major milestone of my adult life, including the birth of my two children. She welcomed them into our home without even an instant of jealousy. Instead, she seemed to regard each baby as just another human body to care for, protect, and lavish affection upon. Even without my baby monitor, I would always know when one of my children was crying during the night; Sheila would summon me from my bed by pawing at my face and looking very concerned, as if to say "Come on Mom, get up, the baby is crying."
She was such a wonderful companion, always greeting us at the front door with several big meows and a series of figure-eights around our ankles. She followed everyone from room to room, just wanting to be where the people were, and eventually settling into someone's lap. Because she was always wherever I was, now that she's gone, I keep thinking that I see her out of the corner of my eye. And then when I realize it's just my imagination, that awful lump rises in my throat and uncontrollable tears stream down my face.
Sheila was always such a robust, healthy cat, that even at fourteen, she still looked and acted very much like a kitten. I took it for granted she would live to be very old. But suddenly at fourteen, she became very sick, very fast, deteriorating dramatically over a period of just a few months. I know I made the right decision, with Dr. Belknap's help and support, to peacefully end her life before she got to the very end-stage of her illness; a point at which she would endure horrible pain and suffering prior to a natural death. I only hope I didn't wait too long, as it would have been selfish of me, and unfair to my cherished cat, to keep her alive in the condition she was in. Although I miss her terribly, and feel I have a huge hole in my heart right now, I know within a few months, when the rawness of her death is behind me, that hole with be filled in with indelible, fond memories of my sweet, sweet Sheila, who impacted my life and the life of my entire family, in the most positive, joyous and lasting way. |
