Katniss has gone…

by in Anecdotes and tagged , , , ,

…and that is one of the reasons for my absence from WordPress. How many times do our hearts break when we lose a beloved pet? We had been feeding Katniss for a few years and I think she was about 4 years old. This year we bought her a little house and she finally figured out that she could use it on inclement days. A few weeks ago she suddenly disappeared and I quickly realized she was dead. After a couple of days there was a smell of death on the air and all the other little critters disappeared from our garden.

She was hale and hearty before she disappeared so I suspect she was run over by a car or succumbed after an encounter with another animal. The armadillos have created a warren of burrows under our deck and into the reserve so I will never find her. Possums and raccoons have started to visit again. For weeks we looked out of the window to no avail, as did Toffee, our elderly inside cat. My grief is tarnished with relief. We have spent almost 40 years looking after difficult, feral cats and would like a break. I was so worried about Katniss’s future and potential illness but fate has taken care of that.

This is the last photograph of Katniss enjoying her little house. It now sits empty like the Taj Mahal.

Feral cats have a short lifespan compared to domesticated cats so she had a lovely few years being spoiled with ‘pasta and trout’, her very own house and loving servants. Her little house sits empty but I have seen squirrels hop in and out. The fat raccoon could only squeeze her head in… We will leave it out as our Taj Mahal to Katniss. Perhaps it will give one of our many critter visitors a warm shelter?

I am going to take a little break from blogging and following but thank you to all my visitors. I look forward to catching up with everyone in the New Year. May you enjoy a marvelous festive season. Merry Christmas!

72 thoughts on “Katniss has gone…”

      • At least we keep them in our hearts.
        Mr. M was diagnosed in October and given 2-3 months, but obviously hung on longer, so we knew we were losing him… My eyes are tearing up as I type this…. I was useless for two days when he actually passed, but know that he was finally free of pain, so I should be happy for him.
        Strange thing is that we rarely see rainbows, but did that morning. Another strange thing is that Purrseidon seems to know where his grave is – she never went to that corner, previously, but now makes a beeline for it when she goes out; spends a while there, then rambles on.
        I know I’m prejudiced, but to me, he was an amazing little fellow… I’m sure Katniss was the same for you, so totally understand why you had to take time off from your blog.

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  5. Decades ago, I had a pet duck for several years until one morning I woke up to find it dead in our fenced-in back yard, killed by an unknown animal. I had grown so attached to that duck that I was devastated, so I know how you feel.

    I wish you a Merry Christmas (despite your loss) and an enjoyable break.

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    • You just made me laugh, Anne. Everyone remembers Tibby! When I went to the school reunion in 2002 our classmates asked me if Tibby was still alive – she would have been 30 years old. I guess I talked about her all the time…😺 Have fun with your girls, ❤

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  9. Kerry I’m so sorry! Losing an animal friend, whether in-house or feral, is always so difficult. I still miss our kitty who left in September. You gave her the care she needed, so she had a much better life the last few years than she could have had without you. Wishing you peace and comfort, many hugs, Leah

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  11. Oh dear Kerry, so sorry to hear of Katniss’ demise. Especially sad that you can’t find her. I’m glad you’re keeping her little house. Sending the hugest of hugs to you and best wishes for a comforting holiday season. See you when you’re back.

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  18. Dear Kerry,
    I’m so sorry to hear of your loss, and my thoughts are with you. I know how very much attached one can get to ones animals, and how very difficult it is when they go. To my mind, it is even more difficult when one doesn’t know exactly what happened to them. That was the case years ago, when my best friend, as I used to call our dog Buster, ran away and was never seen again. Even years after that I hoped – against all reason, of course – that he would again be there, wagging his tail when we drove up to the house.
    Being with you in my thoughts,
    Pit

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      • As to Buster, I believe he met a much harsher fate and ran into a horde of javelinas. More here: https://wp.me/p1wnbs-vW
        What makes it all the harder to bear is that it was all my fault. He [and Sally, our other dog at that time], were standing under a tree on our property, barking furiously at a raccoon in the tree. I wanted to scare the raccoon away and fired a shotgun tree times. That frightened the dogs so much that they ran away in panic. That flight might have taken them into a horde of javelinas. I know there used to be some around, in the direction in which the dogs fled. Sally came back later, with a wound on her hind quarters that could well have been inflicted by those big teeth of a javelina. Very likely Buster was not lucky enough to escape.

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  22. Kerry, I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. 😦 Katniss looked very much like two of my own fur persons (both now living across the Rainbow Bridge.

    Wishing you a peaceful holiday and look forward to your posts again in the new year!

    Fim

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  23. Ah Kerry, that’s a heartbreaker but you have rationalised it well. It’s part of nature’s cycle. You’re comforted in the knowledge that did what you could for Katniss and she had a more comfortable life than many. Happy Christmas.

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  26. I am so sorry for your loss. I think it’s amazing that you have been looking after difficult, feral cats for almost 40 years. You are a kind and loving person who is setting a great example. Katniss was Lucky to have you; you made her time on earth a wonderful experience.

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