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| The wire sculpture is eight inches tall... |
practiced good hygiene...
except for the goopy eyes that, in her defense, she couldn't see and were caused by incurable disease...
wouldn't have followed convention even if she'd known what it was...
loved a good spot in the sun, especially as she got older...
usually only shared when she wasn't aware she was
(Shadow and Gregory arrived while she was asleep; notice they're behind her)...
and felt safe... sometimes.
"Is that a can of tuna opening?"
"If I wait long enough, and concentrate hard enough, I'll grow into these..."
"Okay, now move a little to your left... I'm almost there..."
Mouse rarely saw the humor in others' actions...
and held herself steady and proud, even at 17+.
Those of you who got to meet her in-person may wonder, "Why no photos of her dancing on two legs?" I guess it's because I was usually laughing pretty hard... and because it never entered my mind that she'd ever stop.
She could be a cranky old broad and, at well-under 6 lbs (2.7 kilos), she scared some of the most feline-familiar people I know... maybe because she reminded them of their dark side? Someone once told me that Mouse's personality was mine without the social skills... and I think there's some truth to that; though she could dance better than I ever will.
When I left, Jo from Feline Friends all but demanded that Mouse live out her last days in her home... and refused a donation from me because, paraphrasing here, Mouse and I are family now. I checked in a few times and was told that everyone was adjusting well and that Mouse was happy. Then, in mid-February, I didn't get a reply. Thinking Jo was just very busy, I wrote again a week or so ago.
Jo replied that Mouse had had a stroke in late January and, although she got to the vet very quickly, the paralysis grew to where they soon decided her time had come. Mouse got to leave the planet peacefully and surrounded by love... as we all hope to when it is our time. My bet is that she's finally walking around on two legs...
I cried a little when I heard this, though I always thought Mouse would stroke-out very quickly; she definitely had my pre-charm school temper and I would never have been surprised to come home and find her stretched out in a final scream. I let the knowledge of her passing sit a bit before writing this, and as I write, I can't stop crying...
When I left, I knew that I will never see any of my furry kids again. Since they're all well-loved and cared-for, I was okay with that, though I do miss them greatly! Mouse was more special in many ways and put up with a LOT of what she would call "competitors". She was happiest, I know now, before Shadow came in 2000 and after Sofie, Amy, and James went to their new homes a couple weeks before she went to Jo's... when it was just the two of us. The last weeks together were wonderful and she seemed to have new energy... like she would live forever!
Now Mouse will live forever... in the minds and hearts of everyone who met her... and now, I hope, in yours.
If you'd like to help out an "everybody gets the best and longest life possible" feline rescue organization whose volunteers have hearts as big as the sky, click here to visit their web site and make a donation in Mouse's name or the name of your furry kid(s). Jo will probably say I shouldn't ask, and I'll listen to her as well as I listen to everyone else.
CLICK HERE and then on the "Donate" tab... I just did. Or even better, click on the "Adoption" tab and then "Adult Cats". You'll find some wonderful friends there.
Thank you! Now go hug your furry kids for me...
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