Your Pet Loss Stories

'Hagatha'

When she first came into my life, Hagatha was approximately 2 years old. She had been the beloved pet of an elderly woman who spoiled her rotten. Hagatha was a grey and white long-haired cat and had been an indoor cat until her elderly person had to go into a nursing home. At that point the womans son decided that "cat's belong outside" and out Hagatha went.

My boyfriend happened to be at this "gentlemans" house and heard the story and he brought Hagatha home to me. She was your typical "old lady cat". Mean and violent. She bit and scratched and was all around NOT friendly at all. Since the apartment I was in did not allow cats (and I had already snuck one in 2 months earlier) we moved a couple of weeks after Hagatha moved in. That's when we discovered that she absolutely hated being outside. She cried incessantly between the house and the car. Once she was in the car she was fine.

Over the next 8 years, Hagatha became less violent and mean, although she was still one to watch out for if she was laying on your lap and you wanted to move. She had hair coming out between her toes and I used to mess with her by touching those hairs and then pulling my hand away when she swung at me. I became a game between us and never did she get scolded when I wasn't quick enough, because, lets face it, I was asking for it. Her favorite game was batting around Pop-tops. If she heard a bottle of pop being opened, she would come running. We had to try to muffle the noise if we weren't going to be finished with the bottle to avoid the reproachful look she'd give us when we didn't throw the cap down for her. Whenever I would move the refrigerator, there would be 20 to 30 pop tops there.

Around 2 years ago, Haggie went through a change. Her breath became foul and she became very sweet and affectionate. Due to financial difficulties, I was unable to take her into the vet and her condition deteriorated over the next 24 months. She had lost half her body weight, yet was eating outrageous amounts of food. She was yowling incessantly (which she had never done before). She had ripped out most of her fur on her lower half, and due to scratching had opened up sores on the rest of her. She smelled horrible and was miserable. Her breathing was labored. Yet the worse she felt the sweeter she became. She would come running to me when I walked in the door and (after being fed) wanted nothing more than to lay on me and be petted.

I took her in yesterday, 1/7/2012 and the vet determined that she had hyperthyroidism and mammary cancer. I held her close and the sweet girl was purring up until her heart stopped. I hurt so badly.