Your Pet Loss Stories

by Joy
(Stockton, Ca, USA)

My family had adopted Dewey at the age of two months and when I was three months old. Dewey would sleep in my crib with me. She was there when I fell asleep and when I woke up. We did everything together!

Dewey's name was actually "oranges" but when I was learning how to talk I would always call her Dewey so we changed her first name to Dewey. As the years passed by and we both get older we became even more inseparable. I loved her wholeheartedly and I know she loved me with her whole heart.

I told Dewey everything my secrets, my problems, my funny stories and jokes, even though sometimes they weren't funny. She heard it all and listened and sometimes would talk back to me or move her head a certain way when something wasn't funny! Hahaha she had quite a personality! When we where in our preteen stages that's when she was really there for me.

When I was nine years old my parents where going through a rough patch in their marriage anxiety I often told Dewey my thoughts and concerns and she would lay there on my lap just purring letting me know that everything would be alright, and she was right everything did end up alright!

Around the age 11 or 12 I would put on mini dance recitals in my room for Dewey she would be sitting on the bed just watching probably sometimes even wondering "what is this girl doing"! Dewey was truly my little sister even though sometimes she would act like she was older then me bossing me around and things! I loved spending my days home from school with Dewey just the two of us because she was always there when I needed her! We were quite the pair together!

A few years down the line when we were 15 she had pooped or thrown up some blood I'm not exactly sure because my Mom didn't tell me which it was. So my Mom had taken her to the vet and they gave her some medicine and put her on a special food diet. And that did work her problem went away.

Now at the age of 17 her breath started stinking and her hair had began to nap up so we took her to the vet. They told us to come back so we could have some labs done on her. I was quite confused when the vet was handing me papers about putting her to sleep I thought to myself "Why is he giving me all of this information I didn't ask for".

On the last day of Sept I was leaving for dance and I let her outside like I normally do and I told her "Bye Dewey I'll see you later" and she turned around and just meowed. I didn't think anything of it, but I guess after I left she had went underneath on the side of my Mom's tire and passed away. When my Mom was leaving she had seen her and began to call her name to her to come inside but she didn't answer and my Mom just started weeping so she asked the neighbor across the street if he would be able to pick her up and put her in a box so he did (my Mom just couldn't bring herself to pick Dewey up herself.)

My Mom then called my sister to come and get Dewey. My sister took her and buried her at her ranch. When my Mom came and picked me up from dance she was very quiet, I was wondering what was going on! So when I came home I looked for Dewey but no one said anything so I just assumed that she went wondering off the neighborhood like she would sometimes do. Oct 3rd we left for my Dad's job to Florida and I still had no clue Dewey had passed.

When my sister came to the house I told her to leave a bowl of food and water out just In case Dewey decides to come back so she said okay. I called my sister every day while we were gone asking if Dewey came back and she said no every time. I was getting quite frustrated and I just wanted to go home. I thought maybe if I was home she would come home also! When we got back I immediately started looking for Dewey everywhere.

When we left to run an errand my 5 year old niece told me that Dewey had passed away. I was shocked that she said that and I didn't believe her and when my Mom came back I asked her. Then she started telling me everything! When I found out I tried not to cry because I didn't want my nieces to see me cry but as hard as I tried it didn't work I cried a long time! I understood why my Mom didn't tell me because she wanted me to have a good time.

It's quite hard not having Dewey here with me, we were almost 18 years old! I turned 18 on Oct 19th and she would've turned 18 Nov 1st! We were so close but I know she hung on for as long as she could and I live and admire her for that! There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her. I cry myself to sleep every night so no one can see the pain and frustration I'm going through! I try to stay strong because I know that is what Dewey would've wanted was for me to stay strong and continue on!

But I often wonder "Why did she wait until I left for dance to pass away? And why did she go outside? Would she have passed away if I didn't let her outside?" I hope that it wasn't my fault because I love her sooooo much! I want to thank Dewey for being the BEST SISTER in the world!! I LOVE YOU!!!! <3