WordPress sent me a message a couple of days ago to remind me that I had been blogging for 7 years. I’m really chuffed that I’m still at it after all this time and I’ve published about two and a half thousand posts. That’s a lot of art I’ve done and written about. I did my first post while I was sitting with my elderly cat, Bobbit, as she was dying. I’ve reproduced it here. It still makes me choke up. I had about a dozen readers for my first post and I was so pleased.
“Bobbit came into our family in July 1993 and 17 years later I’m sitting with her as she sleeps her last sleep, dying gently and quietly with familiar sounds and smells and her human and feline companions around her. If she was suffering I’d take her to the vet for euthanasia, but she’s slipping away peacefully and I want her to die here, in her home.
People who don’t have pets don’t get the relationship. A pet shares part of your journey through life and when a pet dies, that part of your journey is over and you take a new route without your companion. Bobbit has been travelling with me for 17 years and now her journey’s nearly over, mine will change.
It’s a long time for a little cat to share my life. When she arrived aged 8 weeks, she hadn’t ever been outside and we took her into our garden on a warm sunny day and she saw her first grass. She went bonkers romping around on the lawn and she’s loved her garden ever since. Yesterday, I thought she might be rallying because she managed to wobble on her poor little arthritic legs to her favourite spot on the grass. She stayed there for an hour or so then wobbled back indoors and has slept since. I think she wanted one last sleep in the sun, with the feel of the grass under her.
In those 17 years, I’ve moved to England to work and come back to Wales. I’ve had several career changes, run my own business and finally achieved my ambition of becoming a full-time artist. New little relatives and friends have been born, while loved family elders, dear friends and respected colleagues have died. Bobbit has been one of the adored cats who have shared my life along the way, moving from being the youngest (and only girl) out of four, to being the grouchy matriarch over two much younger kitties.
As I’m sitting here with her, I think about the people I’ve shared a path with; who is still a friend, who has disappeared out of my life, the important events, the happinesses, the regrets. The death of a pet encapsulates that period of time and all those experiences and sort of brings it to a close. I know that in a couple of weeks I won’t be so upset; that I’ll be able to tell stories about Bobbit and chuckle over them and she’ll take her place fondly in my memory with my other dear cats; Kat, Nellie, Banshee; Freddy Kruger; Sialco and Bola, but for the moment I’m heartbroken to let go of that part of the journey we have shared and to start on a new path without her.”
Here are a few more sketches of Bobbit, and some of her feline companions.
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Loved reading this piece – always enjoy your posts Rosie, a very impressive and determined journey!
Thank you Anna, it gives me a focus each day 🙂
Congratulations on much blogging. Blogs contain all kinds of memories. It’s good that you can remember your wonderful cat with these amazing drawings. All the pets are special, aren’t they? These animals which whom we share our lives.
Thank you. I have a lot of drawings of my cats, it’s somehow comforting
cats are wonderful to draw & drawings help one to remember each one, each beloved pet — I can easily understand how you find that comforting
Congratulations, Rosie.
Thanks Emma 😀
Happy blogiversary (autocorrect suggested either biodiversity or Oktoberfest, go figure 🤣). So lovely to remember your Bobbit this way. Not quite a year since we lost our Georgie and she is still terribly missed.
Our cat cemetary includes our two moggies and one who only made it to us after it died (one of our neighbours mistook the poor petal for our cat, after it had been knocked over by a car). All happily resting under the nectarine tree.
aaawww bless them. I have such fond memories of hem all, even the evil Freddy Kruger!
Thanks for your blogs, generous and communicative.
Thanks so much xx
Congratulations and thank you for sharing beautiful posts and art work!
Thank you ☺
Hugs to you and Bobbit, what a wonderful journey you have had.
Thanks Sharon
I’m choking up too. Reminds me of my cat,m; choosing under the rose bush to die. Buried her where she used to sit under my garden chair so she’s still with me. RIP Bobbit and Alan
Oh that’s lovely. Four of ours are now buried in our tiny city garden. I hope no one ever digs it up!
What a moving tribute to your Bobbit, Rosie, telling of life with cats and the way time moves along. I love your pictures of her! And congratulations on 7 years of blogging!
Thanks Leah, I try to remember to republish it every anniversary. Sitting with her gave me the time to set up my blog. She was a little furry tyrant, but I miss her ☺
Congratulations on your blogiversary, and thanks for sharing so many wonderful sketches, drawings, paintings and lovely arty stuff! A nice but sad story to share too xx
Thanks Lois. I often feel that I am not doing enough creatively, but I forget about all the work I do on the blog.
True… and for me with writing, even when I hit a dry patch, I still write here! Your blog is wonderful though, I only have photos but you have so much more!
Aw thanks Lois