Lily, the cat from over the way–RIP

Lily passed today.

She had made her customary but mysterious journey from the other side of the meadow late morning.

She was thin and breathing hard.

She’d not been well when we left for the book tour of the States.

While we were gone her right ear began to bleed profusely and house sitters nephew Dom and partner Deming had to clean up.

Julie, the traveling vet with a van, came at 2.45 this afternoon and said the tumer on her ear was metastasizing into her lungs–which was why she was finding it hard to breath.

The three of us were in unspoken agreement that this was the moment–the right time.

It is always hard to know.

I dug a hole and we buried her under the trees in the garden, next to Pippa and Lucien.

She was a remarkable mother–gave us three litters.

Meredith found homes for all of them except Blackie, her all black daughter, who preferred to stay close but outside–a chip off the old block.

She suffered in the heat of the summer of 2003; carrying her kitties across the fields in search of food and safety.

It burned her ears permanently.

We never learned where her home was or if she ever really had one.

You wouldn’t describe her as a companionable cat, she was too busy surviving–but she liked it here and knew there would always be something on offer to eat.

Lately she’d been happy to show us some affection and a disinclination to leave.

Indomitable is a word for her.

 

 

 

 

Filed under: other sides to this life