Swampy
11-24-2011, 01:51 PM
Trixie, an 8 year-old calico, left her loving family yesterday after those that loved her had to surrender her in her three week battle with a malignant and rapidly growing tumor in her lower jaw. Her human family, Brittany, Marsha, Marshall aka Swampy, and Lee survive her.
Trixie was very loved by her human family. She will be sorely missed and remembered by those that loved her. She will be remembered and thought of as the sweetest and most lovable cat ever. A "girly-girl" feline, purring contentedly and adoring the company of and physical contact from her human family.
Trixie began her life with humans as a young kitten, one of several of a litter that within weeks of her birth came under the custody and control of the local Humane Society. A family that gave her support and affection for much of the first year of her life soon warmly adopted her and her male littermate. She and her littermate thrived in their new home, a small apartment, and were known for their playful interaction with each other. She was spayed, and had no adverse side effects from the procedure. Her human family quickly appreciated how much affection she showed to them. However, due to human allergies to cat dander, a new home had to be found for Trixie and her littermate.
Brittany heard that Trixie needed a home, and was excited to have a pet in the family. Marsha, however, was very reluctant to accept Trixie due to Marshall's known allergies, but Brittany was her "Daddy's Little Girl", and Marshall convinced his wife, Marsha, that having a pet would be a positive maturation experience for Brittany. Trixie at this point came into our home, and her littermate found a different human family to live with. Trixie never again saw her male littermate. While her first few days with her new human family were difficult for her as she unsuccessfully searched for her missing sib, she found solace and companionship with the human named Brittany.
Brittany, who herself was still a child, would spend hours gently petting Trixie and talking quietly to her. Every evening Trixie would insist on sharing Brittany's bed, and eventually Brittany learned how to sleep with Trixie curled snugly against her. The two of them became inseparable, with Trixie following Brittany everywhere Brittany went in the house. When Brittany would leave for school, Trixie would go with her to the outside door, and when Brittany would return later in the day, Trixie would be there to greet her, standing up on her hind legs to get her head rubbed.
Trixie was introduced to the yard of the human family's house, but appeared uncomfortable being outside. Brittany, due to her concerns about Trixie becoming lost or injured, discouraged Trixie from adventuring outside, and Trixie graciously accepted the fact that her domain was restricted to the humans' large, multi-storied house, filled with nooks and crannies for her to call her own.
A few years later, Brittany went away to college, and Trixie turned to the human named Marsha to re-create the close bond that she had with Brittany. As Trixie had done with Brittany, she became Marsha's companion shadow and sleep-mate. Every evening Marsha would say to Trixie, "nighty-night time" and Trixie would join Marsha in the bed. Trixie would curl herself against Marsha's body, throwing off body heat and purring constantly. As did Brittany, it took Marsha time to learn to sleep with Trixie attached to her, but in a short period of time welcomed it. In fact, Trixie's purring became to Marsha like a gentle lullaby that would sooth her off to sleep.
Meanwhile, with Brittany away at college, Trixie became more involved in the home life of the other humans in the family. Wherever in the house the humans were, there you would find Trixie. She would be on a lap, at their feet or on the arm or the back of the sofa or easy chair where they would be sitting. When Marshall would get on the floor to stretch or do Yoga, Trixie would join him. Although invariably Trixie would wind up laying on her back, purring, to encourage Marshall to stop what he was doing and pet her tummy (which he never failed to do). Whenever Lee would visit, she made it a point to visit with him. She would escort all of the human family to the outside door when they left the house, and welcome them back, standing for a head rub, when they returned home. During the day she would reconnoiter through her indoor domain or dream her feline dreams, waiting for her family to return so she could be present for whatever it was the family would do.
Trixie would take special pleasure in bringing to her human family her small, orange colored stuffed animal, which they would take and throw back to her. At which point she would quizzically look at the thrower as if to ask why in the world it was thrown (do you think I’m a dog), and then she'd pick it up and bring it back to be thrown again. Her sense of adventure caused her to consider the basement as her hunting preserve, which she would explore in the hopes of locating and capturing one of the small mice that would try to trespass in her domain. However, she was more adept in the searching for and chasing than in the actually catching.
But the aspect of Trixie that most stood out to her human family was her loving nature. She expressed her love and contentment to her human family, and by her expressions of such feelings, her human family themselves felt love and contentment. She enriched their lives.
It was not easy for her human family to surrender in the battle for her life. Each one of them had a different feeling about how to wage the battle, and those different feelings resulted in some conflict among them. Trixie, however, remained calm and content. She knew that her human family would protect her to the best of her ability from the thing that was growing her in jaw. But it too soon became the time. That day her human family said their goodbye to Trixie in their own ways (all of which involved hours of petting, rubbing or brushing) and Trixie gave to them her approval in the way she knew how ..... by expressing her love, trust and contentment in their company.
At the end, Trixie was not afraid. She was not in pain or distress. While in the past she would behave skittish when the Vet would examine her, this time she showed no fear. She calmly sat on the metal table, accepting the gentle petting of Brittany and Marsha, purring all the while as if she were lying in bed with them. She knew it was time. She then went “nighty-night” for the last time.
As I am writing this tears are coming down my cheeks. When she came into our family I never imagined that little Trixie would come to mean so much to me, and to all of us. Rest in peace dear Trixie.
Marshall aka Swampy
Trixie was very loved by her human family. She will be sorely missed and remembered by those that loved her. She will be remembered and thought of as the sweetest and most lovable cat ever. A "girly-girl" feline, purring contentedly and adoring the company of and physical contact from her human family.
Trixie began her life with humans as a young kitten, one of several of a litter that within weeks of her birth came under the custody and control of the local Humane Society. A family that gave her support and affection for much of the first year of her life soon warmly adopted her and her male littermate. She and her littermate thrived in their new home, a small apartment, and were known for their playful interaction with each other. She was spayed, and had no adverse side effects from the procedure. Her human family quickly appreciated how much affection she showed to them. However, due to human allergies to cat dander, a new home had to be found for Trixie and her littermate.
Brittany heard that Trixie needed a home, and was excited to have a pet in the family. Marsha, however, was very reluctant to accept Trixie due to Marshall's known allergies, but Brittany was her "Daddy's Little Girl", and Marshall convinced his wife, Marsha, that having a pet would be a positive maturation experience for Brittany. Trixie at this point came into our home, and her littermate found a different human family to live with. Trixie never again saw her male littermate. While her first few days with her new human family were difficult for her as she unsuccessfully searched for her missing sib, she found solace and companionship with the human named Brittany.
Brittany, who herself was still a child, would spend hours gently petting Trixie and talking quietly to her. Every evening Trixie would insist on sharing Brittany's bed, and eventually Brittany learned how to sleep with Trixie curled snugly against her. The two of them became inseparable, with Trixie following Brittany everywhere Brittany went in the house. When Brittany would leave for school, Trixie would go with her to the outside door, and when Brittany would return later in the day, Trixie would be there to greet her, standing up on her hind legs to get her head rubbed.
Trixie was introduced to the yard of the human family's house, but appeared uncomfortable being outside. Brittany, due to her concerns about Trixie becoming lost or injured, discouraged Trixie from adventuring outside, and Trixie graciously accepted the fact that her domain was restricted to the humans' large, multi-storied house, filled with nooks and crannies for her to call her own.
A few years later, Brittany went away to college, and Trixie turned to the human named Marsha to re-create the close bond that she had with Brittany. As Trixie had done with Brittany, she became Marsha's companion shadow and sleep-mate. Every evening Marsha would say to Trixie, "nighty-night time" and Trixie would join Marsha in the bed. Trixie would curl herself against Marsha's body, throwing off body heat and purring constantly. As did Brittany, it took Marsha time to learn to sleep with Trixie attached to her, but in a short period of time welcomed it. In fact, Trixie's purring became to Marsha like a gentle lullaby that would sooth her off to sleep.
Meanwhile, with Brittany away at college, Trixie became more involved in the home life of the other humans in the family. Wherever in the house the humans were, there you would find Trixie. She would be on a lap, at their feet or on the arm or the back of the sofa or easy chair where they would be sitting. When Marshall would get on the floor to stretch or do Yoga, Trixie would join him. Although invariably Trixie would wind up laying on her back, purring, to encourage Marshall to stop what he was doing and pet her tummy (which he never failed to do). Whenever Lee would visit, she made it a point to visit with him. She would escort all of the human family to the outside door when they left the house, and welcome them back, standing for a head rub, when they returned home. During the day she would reconnoiter through her indoor domain or dream her feline dreams, waiting for her family to return so she could be present for whatever it was the family would do.
Trixie would take special pleasure in bringing to her human family her small, orange colored stuffed animal, which they would take and throw back to her. At which point she would quizzically look at the thrower as if to ask why in the world it was thrown (do you think I’m a dog), and then she'd pick it up and bring it back to be thrown again. Her sense of adventure caused her to consider the basement as her hunting preserve, which she would explore in the hopes of locating and capturing one of the small mice that would try to trespass in her domain. However, she was more adept in the searching for and chasing than in the actually catching.
But the aspect of Trixie that most stood out to her human family was her loving nature. She expressed her love and contentment to her human family, and by her expressions of such feelings, her human family themselves felt love and contentment. She enriched their lives.
It was not easy for her human family to surrender in the battle for her life. Each one of them had a different feeling about how to wage the battle, and those different feelings resulted in some conflict among them. Trixie, however, remained calm and content. She knew that her human family would protect her to the best of her ability from the thing that was growing her in jaw. But it too soon became the time. That day her human family said their goodbye to Trixie in their own ways (all of which involved hours of petting, rubbing or brushing) and Trixie gave to them her approval in the way she knew how ..... by expressing her love, trust and contentment in their company.
At the end, Trixie was not afraid. She was not in pain or distress. While in the past she would behave skittish when the Vet would examine her, this time she showed no fear. She calmly sat on the metal table, accepting the gentle petting of Brittany and Marsha, purring all the while as if she were lying in bed with them. She knew it was time. She then went “nighty-night” for the last time.
As I am writing this tears are coming down my cheeks. When she came into our family I never imagined that little Trixie would come to mean so much to me, and to all of us. Rest in peace dear Trixie.
Marshall aka Swampy