It was Time to Say Goodbye

Our cat, Pumpkin, was unique. Anyone that met her did not really forget Ms. Personality. She was equally cranky to everyone that visited our house. She has been part of the our family from the beginning.  Jut got her before we were even engaged...and she's just moved down the totem pole from there.

She was a feisty little kitten that loved to race up your legs.  She ate my roses that we placed on top of the refrigerator one night in her youth. She'd wake me in the mornings by playing with the kitten in the mirror.  She was one crazy kitten.

She turned into a crazy cat. She was territorial of our house.  She didn't like anyone else in it. She'd stand guard and make her presence fully known by all. If one stayed around for a long time, she might jump on his or her lap, but that didn't mean that you were a friend and heaven forbid if you tried to touch her while she was perched there.  She was the queen just gracing  you with her presence.

She loved my pregnant bellies. She'd start sitting on my belly as soon as there was life in there...a couple times she made me nervous because there was no plans for baby and there she'd perch.  But, she wasn't so impressed with the babies on the outside.  When we brought M home from the hospital, she jumped up on our bed, looked at the baby, looked at us and you could hear her say, "Really?  Another one?Why on earth did you do that?!"

Since we moved into our house, she and E had become good friends.  E could even pick her up on most days.  Pumpkin would hang out in E's room on her bed or in her little chair.  E complained that she'd take up too much space in her bed at night. The boys aren't allowed in E's room and we figured that Pumpkin decided that it was the perfect refuge.

However, Pumpkin was nearing her 14th birthday and arthritis had set into her hind quarters. She'd lost a few teeth.  Age was catching up to her.  Additionally, she started some unpleasant behavior problems.  Her time with us was up.

M was just beginning to notice Pumpkin

C took the news with glee.  We sat down to break the news to the kids and C raced at her yelling, "Pumpkin, you are going to DIE!" He reminded her of that fact for her remaining three days.  He obviously didn't really get it. When Jut got home from the vet, he questioned something about how he was back from Heaven already.  Then, his dad made him mad the other day and he exclaimed, "I'm going to send you where Pumpkin is!"Things are hard to sort out in the three year old brain sometimes.

So, now we are without any indoor four-legged companions. Two cats haunt the outside of the house and one desperately wants to be an indoor kitty. But, our pet status isn't going to change anytime soon.