Unknown - 17/09/12
Human family: Caroline Gibbins
Photo(s) of Stephie (1)

Stephie

My lovely old girlie, Stephie, passed away on September 17th 2012 whilst my husband and I were on holiday in Mallorca. The owner of the cattery telephoned us at the start of our second week's holiday. It seemed that she died peacefully in her comfy bed, probably of a heart attack. The shock was immense and I still haven't really come to terms with losing her in this way and not being with her at the end.

She was a farm kitten who was going to be drowned, along with her litter mates, at the age of 4 weeks. Thankfully a kind young lad saved all the kittens and the son of a work colleague of mine took Stephie and kept her in a bedsit, in London, for the first 6 months of her life. She was on her own all day whilst he was at work. Once the novelty of owning a cat wore off, he took her to his mum and I saw her for the first time on Boxing Day 1998. I immediately fell in love with her and said I'd have her, as they were trying to find another home for her. She had never been inoculated so I had this done, together with microchipping and spaying.

Because she had had such a poor start in life and also because she was not inoculated at the right time when she was a kitten, she became a chronically sick cat. She was a carrier of the Herpes virus and the Calici virus, which affected her upper respiratory tract and her mouth. She developed a corneal ulcer on her left eye but my vet managed to save this eye, although the scarring caused her to have a blind spot. A few years later she developed a corneal ulcer on her right eye but, sadly, my vet was unable to save this eye and she had to have it removed. She had a polyp removed from her nostril and my vet also tried to unblock one of her tear ducts but this is a very delicate operation and, unfortunately, was not a success. She was very prone to chest infections and twice stopped breathing under anaesthetic but fortunately, on both occasions, the vets were able to resuscitate her.

She was also very arthritic, which is why she ended up being a bit of a roly poly, and she was a proper foodie, too. I often used to call her "Pud"for this reason.

I knew, in my heart, that she was living on borrowed time and I dreaded the day I would lose her. I felt so guilty that I wasn't with her as she passed away. I still can't forgive myself for going on holiday. When I first had her, after she had just been spayed, she was sprawled across my chest with her paws on my chin, really looking into my eyes and I promised her that I would never, ever let her down. I know it is silly, but I feel that I let her down by not being with her at the end of her life.

She was so much a part of my life, as she was on quite a lot of medication and supplements twice a day and she also used to get me up in the night, quite a lot, during the last year or so of her life. I think she just needed some reassurance and comforting cuddles which, of course, I was happy to give, even if sometimes I was half asleep!

She has left such a huge void in my life and my heart feels so heavy. I have two other lovely cats (sisters aged 10 and a half) who give me a great deal of affection and comfort and two rescue dogs (collie/shepherd crosses) who are both very loving and full of fun, so I am very lucky. I adore all of them and I dread the day that I may lose them. Sadly this is the price we all pay for loving our pets as we do.

Stephie, you were such a special cat and I shall never, ever forget you.

Your paw prints are forever etched on my heart.

Have lots of fun at Rainbow Bridge with all those pussycats who have gone before you. You will probably be with Burglar, Foxy, Susie and Max. Give them all my love. If you see my mum (your gran) who only knew you for a year but loved you until her dying day, give her all my love, too. Loving you forever, until we meet again...........

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