As I sit in an unusual moment of calm on the sofa with no Boy (out doing a swimming race), no rowing or paddling (because Boy is out doing a swimming race) and Eve still asleep at 8am for reasons best known to the sleep fairies and not to be questioned, I am looking at our rather elderly cat fast asleep on the rug.
Marlow is a very tolerant cat. She has put up with being dragged halfway around the world, living with a sister she despised (Henley, who passed away a few years ago) and a small person coming into her otherwise calm and fuzzy life. Despite being poked, prodded, pulled and generally hassled by Eve she has never once scratched, hissed or shown anything other than mild disdain for what we have inflicted upon her. Except an mealtimes, when she loiters under Eve's chair hopefully. We have been very lucky to have such a lovely pet and she is part of our little family. She is, however, getting on a bit.
So, as I sit here pondering life and death, it strikes me that if she dies in the apartment we have a real problem. What do we do with her? In the UK the garden was the resting place for all manner of rabbits, cats, rats and so on. But in HK we don't have a garden. Henley, our other cat, helpfully died on the operating table at the vet. One week later our very apologetic vet (having killed our cat) delivered us a little urn of ashes. Those have also caused us problems in that I don't feel I can just put them in the bin and many discussions with my Mum about scattering them have led is to the conclusion that Henley was incredibly lazy, hated going outside and her favourite place was the sofa, so unless I am going to stuff them into a cushion they will just have to stay on the shelf in Eve's room. However, at least there was no issue about what to do with a dead cat body.
Marlow is very much alive (although fast asleep at the moment) so hopefully this is not a problem I will have to deal with in the immediate future. However, assuming one day I walk in to find her on the rug but just that little bit stiffer and that little bit colder. I can't just throw her off the balcony can I?
How did that happen?
4 years ago
3 comments:
Aw. I don't think cats mind that sort of thing, but I'd suggest you put both of them somewhere where you like to go, on the basis that you will remember them whenever you are there. The wilderness at the centre of Middle Island springs to mind. I'm sure you could have dig a hole and have a quiet little ceremony without anyone being any the wiser.
Taxidermy. Cat still with you (sort of) and no body to dispose of, over the balcony or otherwise.
LCM x
get the vet to cremate her and dont take the ashes back. but DO put up a photo of her fuzzy snoozy tummy up on the wall to remember the good bits. I had a conversation with HusGood the other day about whether the technology for cloning cats will be available cheaply enough when it comes to Hobie and Mink's time to go to the Great Cattery in the Sky...
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