Saturday, May 01, 2021

Farewell, little shadow




 Bill Cat has been missing for over a week, presumed dead.

We got Bill, and his brother Ted, from a rescue centre around six months after we moved to Chester. They were around 18 months when we got them, so Bill made it to over 18 years old, Over the past 12 months, he'd become increasingly doddery and pretty much deaf. I thought last Spring might be the last time he felt the rising sun warm his black fur and old bones, making him smell of digestive biscuits, but he made it through to this spring. I always hoped I'd find him curled up in a favourite place, looking as if he fell asleep, but it wasn't to be.

However, he remained my shadow to the end. When out in the garden, there'd be a rustling in the undergrowth and Bill would appear for strokes and tickles behind the ear. I miss that now. Instead, the rustling is a blackbird, tossing leaves aside to look for worms. A lovely sight, but not Bill. I see something black in the house, in the corner of my eye, but it's a hoodie, flung on the floor by small child. I hear a noise, but it's the mewling of a circling gull, and not crazy old, deaf Bill letting us know he's around.

I haven't written on the blog for several years, but it seemed an appropriate place to say goodbye to an era. Both Bill and Ted starred in LAPCBADPOUB Day and many other posts over the years.

Farewell, our biscuity shadow. Go well. 

8 comments:

Anna said...

Oh I'm sorry to read this HM. You will all miss Bill xxx

Arabella Sock said...

Oh no.. that has made me cry. We always want to be there with them at the end but in my experience it has usually been the vets at best which is not what I would have wanted. My friend's cat disappeared at that age when he was old and on the way out and they told me that cats instinct was to go off and die on their own somewhere quiet and I do wonder if that is right for the cat if awful for the owner. As you say, the passing of an era and one, which in the good old blogging days, was such fun.

HappyMouffetard said...

Thanks Anna x

HappyMouffetard said...

Thanks for your comment. Yes, it may have been right for him xx

Ms B said...

Awwwwwww. 🤗🤗🤗

HappyMouffetard said...

Xx

VP said...

Oh I'm so sorry HM :( Bill and Ted were such characters and LAPCBADPOUB Day was the best. I still think I see Skimble or Jess from time to time; I'm sure it's because we hold them so firmly in our hearts x

HappyMouffetard said...

Thanks for your comment VP xx