Right when the pandemic started back in March, my cat Precious got outside and didn’t come home. While others reminded me that cats will run off and hide when it is their time to pass away, I knew in my heart she was not ready to go. She was still playing, eating like a pig, drinking and showing no signs of distress.
My boyfriend and I put up flyers and another friend dropped off an outdoor surveillance camera. Three long days went by with no signs of her. I actually turned off the surveillance notifications on my phone since it would disappoint me so much when I would look only to see that it was a bird, a squirrel or even just the wind blowing something past the camera.
It was about 15 minutes after I turned those notifications off when someone knocked on my door. Upon opening the door, I was greeted by a woman. She said, “Your cat is back!” Looking confused and down at her feet, I didn’t see Precious. The woman pointed to the end of my yard at the sidewalk, where her little toddler was petting Precious. Precious was rolling around and enjoying every second when I couldn’t contain my tears. I was so shocked that the woman went and scooped her up and brought her to me. As I held her in my arms, I sobbed. We believe that someone actually took her in but then saw the signs posted and let her go.
Precious was an affectionate cat all throughout her long life.
Precious was an indoor/outdoor cat for most of her life. As she got older we decided to keep her indoors. There were times when she would stare at the wall and seem a little disoriented. This is why we made the decision to keep her inside.
As the months went by, she started becoming very skinny and always wanted food. We noticed that she had also lost her hearing. Most cats wouldn’t tolerate a vacuum being near them, but it got to the point where I could vacuum right around her and she didn’t move. If you went to pet her when she was sound asleep, she would jump.
In the middle of October of this year, we had to say goodbye to my Chihuahua, Diego. It definitely was not expected. We took him to the vet for an issue with his tooth and ended up having to make the worst decision of a pet owner’s life. He wasn’t healthy enough to have the surgery for his tooth. My heart literally broke that night. I’m still not used to coming home and not being greeted by him.
Diego and Precious were kitchen buddies. They were always in the kitchen. Precious always started it, too. Once Diego knew she was in the kitchen, he was in there. Snickers couldn’t care less.
About a week after Diego passed away, a friend of mine came to visit me. Her energy was very good and positive, as it has been. There were some things that I was feeling guided to talk to her about and I warned her that it wasn’t with intent to hurt her feelings. There are times when spirit has a message for someone and it can be very blunt and to the point. This was one of those times. She sat on the couch as I began to speak. Her energy did a slight shift as Precious came walking into the room. I mentioned that Precious was coming in to heal her. With an intrigued look, my friend leaned back on the couch as Precious jumped up and laid on her chest. My friend started to release her feelings with tears streaming down her face. Precious laid there until she felt my friend no longer needed her. For my friend, it was an amazing experience.
There have been countless times when Precious engaged in the healing of my friends, family members, myself and mostly my son. The second to last time she laid on me in bed, I got this overwhelming feeling that she was ready to go. In my head I heard, “I am dying.” In the recent days leading up to this moment, she had started urinating on our bathroom floor. My heart was already shattered having to put Diego down two weeks before. How in the world was I going to make that phone call this soon? I knew I could not be selfish and keep her here for me. I needed and wanted her to be at peace and free of pain. I really have no idea how the receptionist could understand me through the tears, but I made the call for the next morning. The first call after making the appointment was to my son, who quickly showed up at my house in tears. He just kept asking her why she had to go now? He was really looking forward to celebrating their 21st birthdays together. We all were.
He sat on the couch and Precious starting walking over to him. He looked at her and said, “You’re going to jump up here, aren’t you?” That’s exactly what she did. The tears streamed down both of our faces. She was his cat. My son was her favorite person in the world. I do believe that’s why she came into our lives. So many people needed her, which is why I believed she lived to be almost 21 years old.
Precious and Gavin were the same age and always had a special bond.
On our last morning together, as I laid awake in bed, I heard her coming up the pet steps along the side of the bed. She made her way to my chest and purring like crazy, laid on top of me. She made me feel at peace with my decision at that moment, even though my heart hurt so badly. Bringing the cat carrier up from the basement, I felt like I was losing yet another best friend, at least in the physical sense. Snickers was trying to get the door of the carrier open once Precious was inside of it. He was still adjusting to the loss of his playmate. Let’s just say that I could not stop crying for many reasons. Both of my children met me at the vet and held it together so well. I believe they were both trying to be strong for me.
The validation that Precious was ready to go came when the doctor administered only half of the euthanization medication and her heart stopped beating. It was so peaceful.
A part of me feels sad for those who say they are not fond of cats. They may never get to experience the joy and healing that they bring into our lives. Precious was definitely one of a kind. In all the cats I have had throughout my lifetime, there was no other like her. My house is so different now. Snickers is so lonely. He definitely has become more affectionate with everyone.
I am grateful to have had over 20 years with Precious. I am so grateful to God for bringing her into our lives. She has certainly touched many.
Amy Musser, a Hellertown resident and writer, is a spiritual adviser and co-owner of 2 Angels. An animal lover, she regularly shares inspiration on Saucon Source as well as on her Facebook page.
