Facebook, as I’ve said before, reminds you of times, and memories long passed by.
This morning they reminded me of this photo
The memory was so very different.
This was Joan, my first cat.
One of two sisters ( her quieter and more reticent twin was called Betty) she ruled the roost in my homes in Sheffield after turning up as a kitten at my back door demanding to be let in during a rainstorm .
Loud, vocal and a typical Sheffield working class matriarch in so much she stood no messing from anything and anyone, Joan provided a backdrop of my salad days as a young nurse and when we moved to the country, whereas Betty faded and died, the old Gal Joan, found a new lease of life wandering my field and raising her face to the sun .
The first photo shows William watching her carefully before she died. Note the position of his paw, so typical of a Welsh terrier.
His paw lay on her for an age, just touching her tail, something she would never have allowed him do when she was well.x
How sweet of William to be so attentive and gentle with Joan. He must have know she was not long for this world.
ReplyDeleteOur 1st cat was black and white, named Kitty Cat by our two year old and called KC.
Hope you sleep well today.
Hugs!
When Winnie dropped dead after playing with her rubber duck , Albert sat quietly between her big bear paws for an age
Delete20? That's a great run for a cat! That 1st photo is nothing short of beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHe laid there for most of the afternoon, just touching her
DeleteIt's amazing how much animals perceive.
ReplyDeleteWilliam was a sweet dog , he seemed to suck up emotion
DeleteWhat an amazing age for a cat!
ReplyDeleteSo touching and powerful.
ReplyDeleteYou would have loved Joan very like tge Dowager
DeleteBoth photos are beautiful, as are the memories.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely week!
It’s going to be nice but full ( quelle surprise)
DeleteOh, John, you've made me cry - again! One of my last 2 cats was a ginger and white rescue Tom. He was like a teddy bear, I could do anything to him and the worst he'd do was just touch with claws or teeth. Never to hurt, just to remind you that he was under sufferance! The other, a black and white rescue Tom, was the complete opposite. Still a softy, but try to give him any sort of treatment and he was all teeth and claws. It was wrap him in a towel, give the treatment, then let him dash out of the cat flap and sulk at the bottom of the garden for a few hours. I do miss them both. xx
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to you HH but that’s the price we pay for their joys
DeleteJoan sounds like she was loaded, simply loaded, with purrsonality!
ReplyDeleteShe was a diva, loud and very vocal for a cat
DeleteThere is something about interspecies affection and caring that moves me so much. Whatever it is that allows this to happen is, I think, holy.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a true empathy
DeleteBoth sweet photo's but the one of William showing his concern is precious. So touching. I needed that today.
ReplyDeleteJo in Auckland
He and Roger are so similar , he was such a gentle dog who was obsessed with other animals especially an injured rabbit, I called Mary who lived in a hutch on the field
DeleteI remember the story about William and Mary the rabbit.
DeleteJo in Auckland
You have shared your life with some wonderful furry friends.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to remember her as well as Albert
DeleteCats and dogs John. How they pull at your heart strings but they are worth every 'twang'.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos John and very touching. I think some animals just know, we had a cat who had been Ill since he was a kitten, had surgery and gained 5 years of pain free life with us before his time ran out. The lasting image I have of him was on his final day when he was in the garden, sat in sunshine with the gentle breeze ruffling his fur and his head tilted towards the sky.
ReplyDeleteI just typed a rather long reply sharing a personal story about our farm dogs and the comment disappeared before I could publish. So , I will just say that I agree how wonderful animals are. Jackie
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe Joan died so soon after the outdoor photo was taken, she looks to be in good condition.
ReplyDeleteWilliam would have made a great therapy dog, what a sweetie :)
You tend to break my heart open every once in a while. Whether it is losing our pets, or losing our spouses (which we did fairly simultaneously) you have a way with putting emotions into words.
ReplyDeletePoignant. That's all I can say.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that William had a gift for hospice work. Like you.
ReplyDeleteThe night my Freddie died, our dog 'Bok' slept very near to him, but not touching. I wonder if, like me, he knew it was Freddie's final night.
ReplyDeleteI remember your description of Albert remaining close to Winnie when she died. Those photos are so touching. You have had, and still have now, such endearing animals.
ReplyDeleteYour post here gives one massive tug on the heart-strings, JayGee.
ReplyDeleteAww what a lovely post. It's funny how animals relax their rules towards each other when they are very near the end. My first big ginger girl 'Ginger' took an instant dislike to the black and white kitten we bought her to mother. Their only game together was 'chase' down our sloping garden and the black and white cat 'Pepper' knew that he had to win every chase and if he got caught once too often the claws would be out. But as Ginger was lay in my armchair gradually ebbing away, Pepper came and sat on the floor to be with her and she reached out to him purring and they snuggled faces.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful cat Joan was. And what a tender gesture from William. Pets can be so thoughtful at times.
ReplyDelete