Our cat Amber died today. She was 18 and deaf and died peacefully in her sleep, in the shed where she lived. When we moved to Kent three and a half years ago the couple we bought the house from asked if we’d take on the responsibility of the two female cats who had only ever lived in the shed, (as they couldn’t take the cats with them) and never came in the house, but were happy to be companionable in the garden if we were out there. We agreed, of course, as I’m a massive cat lover, but found it strange for these two cats that they were so obviously unused to being stroked, or petted. We adjusted to their lives, and created ‘Cat Heaven’ in the shed for them, lots of different heights for them to sleep in, suitable for all seasons. We’ve given Amber the best life we could. Thats what you do when you look after animals in your life. Even if you can’t cuddle them…
I couldn’t pick her up as she obviously didn’t like it. But she did like to be petted and would come to us if we were in the garden to have her ears rubbed. She was deaf in the latter years so there was no point in speaking to her much, although I did a bit.
But I was fond of her, and I cried a few tears for her when we buried her at the end of the garden, the garden where she belongs since she lived her whole life here.
Cats touch our hearts in so many ways…………
