Whitey's death

After two cats suspected to be swallowed by a python, Whitey, our cat, age 8 years old, died today of a very bad wound on his head, which was filled with maggots. He had lost one of his eyes and was just whining softly when I called him yesterday.

MrM wanted to get a vet to put Whitey to sleep on Sunday but none of the vets made house calls and the smell from Whitey's wound was just too strong to bring him in a cage into a car. MrM suggested that my maid bring Whitey somewhere and leave him there but I told him after all these years Whitey has been with us, we couldn't possibly do that.

This morning my maid texted me to inform that Whitey had died. She found him all stretched with his mouth open dead in his cage. Whitey never liked me and would just bolt whenever he sees me. If I caught him and tickled him at his chin, he would just lay stiff on the ground and pretended that he didn't like my tickling him. The only two persons he would not run away from are MrM and my maid. In fact, Whitey loves my maid so much that there are times I would catch him waiting outside the bathroom door when my maid is taking a shower. Waiting for my maid to come out, that is. When my maid is sick, he would be sleeping beside her on her bed and sometime would lick her face. When my maid is sweeping the leaves in the lawn outside, he would faithfully wait for my maid to collect the leaves into the garbage bag.

Something about cats that have been with you for cat years that makes you feel sad now that he is gone forever. I was just telling MrM that of all cats that we have had that I miss the most is Whitefeet. And even though Whitey never really liked me, I felt sorry for him, especially when I called him yesterday and he still attempted a soft meow. To me it was as though he was trying to tell me that he is in so much pain.....

I told my maid to get Lan the driver to help her to dig a hole deep enough to bury Whitey before the kids came back from school. They buried him at the unoccupied house behind ours.

MrM said that his only regret was not bring Whitey to the vet the minute he had that wound, which would have been at least a year ago. It could have been cancer or we suspect that Whitey is diabetic because he always had difficulty healing. Or he could have encountered the same snake that took the life of his lifelong companion Whitefeet but managed to escape. We don't know.

I know. It does sound a bit much the way I am going on and on about Whitey. But they have been with us for 8 years for Whitey and 9 years for Whitefeet. Those are long cat years.....to be with us. Zarif, my gentle giant, was the first to call upon returning from school, to inform me that Whitey died. I told him I already knew. He too felt sad. For lack of anything to say, I told him that Whitey had gone to cat heaven.

My two daughters, Munirah and Aliah, life goes on as usual. No mention of Whitey.....