05/09/2022
LOSS OF A PET
As an animal lover, pets have always been a part of my life. The only times in life I've not had at least one pet were while away at college & the first couple of months living away from home. Since then I've always had at least two cats, often more.
Cats are wonderful because they're often self sufficient. You can go away on short trips without worrying by leaving extra food down for them. As I began to travel as a young adult, I loved returning home after a quick weekend trip to NYC visiting friends by meowing felines sharing stories & likely snitching on one another.
Many of my followers are friends & already know of my personal loss of my 14 year old cat Rodger Redington. He suffered what I believe may have been a stroke Saturday night, recovered & then had another last night here at home. I was with him. I held him. I sang to him. I told him the story of how my friend Marie chose him for us, how he got his name through a game between my son & a receptionist at the veterinarians office, how he would sneak outside as a young cat, & so many other stories.
This was the first time a pet of mine died at home. A few years ago our 20 year old cat Chloe died on my son's lap as we pulled into the vet's office, that was peaceful. She was tired & I think she knew she it was her time. With Rodger though, we didn't see this coming. Sure, he was 14. But he was healthy. The only issue he ever had was an eye infection in NYE 2008. That was cause to go to the ER. He was just a tiny kitten and eyes are nothing you need around with. Made for a memorable learning experience & memory for my then three year old. And for Rodger, he ended up with one droopy eye.
Pets are what have kept me going my whole life. As an adult they have been my motivation to get up daily. They've been there to comfort me during times of sadness, anger, frustration, & loss long before becoming a parent. Long before the term "Emotional Support Animal (ESA) came to be, I already knew the value of pets. Each animal I've had has supported me in different ways. Rodger was with me every weekend when my son was at his dad's. He was beside my laptop every research paper written for graduate school, every quiz, & every exam. Rodger for 14 years was beside me nearly every time I shed tears of sadness, loss, & disappointment.
"Rodger Red," "Rodger Dodger," "Rodger Redington," & all the other nicknames used will never be forgotten. Rodg is now with all his other pet siblings who've gone before him. And I'm convinced he's with Nanny, my mother, who taught me the importance of pets in our lives. Knowing my mother, she's holding him on her lap & saying, "You're such a good boy." ❤❤❤
