Tribute to Our Beloved Katie Rose

Katie Rose was born on 5-6-1998, and passed away 3-3-2016. She was nearly 18.
She was my darling Grandmother's cat for the first half of Katie's life, and as I promised my Grandma that if she ever needed me to, I would take her... and well that day did come, when the Assisted Living place did not accept pets. So we drove to Tucson to pack up Grandma's little Katie Rose, very painful in and of itself, especially for my Grandma, who was already going through many changes.

I did know Katie, and met her as a kitten the Summer after she was born. My Grandpa had adopted her from Pima County Animal Control. She was on "death row" for being unadoptable, due to her ornery behavior- such a young tiny kitten!
I'd seen her and played with her several times the first half of her life!

In truth, Katie just had more "rules" than other cats, and you just had to be patient enough to figure out which of the keys unlocked her quirks, to understand her. My Grandpa and Grandma (very good natural cat-people) got along with her just great and so did we!  She was an odd, funny little cat, who played "hall moniter" with the younger cats when they would start to have "too much fun"... yelling at them to "Slow down in the hallways!"

She preferred things to be just so, like many cats, but MORE so, very specific about her toys, where and how she slept, and who was near her as far as other cats and dogs.

Katie was a true lap cat, probably mostly because of her love of warmth. Due to her life of adventure, covering most of the Western part of the USA, she lived first in Arizona, then California, and lastly Oregon- and always ran "colder" than most cats, to begin with! So she would adore to sit in ANY lap. (Just, please don't remove her with your hands- if you want her off, simply sway your knees from side to side, and she'll gladly oblige and get down... example of "key to quirk".)

She was unique looking, being a teal-eyed tabby Manx. She talked constantly, and had a lot to say.
I cannot begin to explain my grief when we lost her. It's too hard... it was also wrapped up in the re-losing of my Grandmother, and it was (and still is) a very difficult time for me.

We knew it was inevitable, though, of course it always it, but I mean, she was diagnosed with kidney disease in January of 2014, and did famously well with it for such a long time. Sure a lot of care when into her diagnosis, a change of food- and the constant re-changing of her food- as "kidney cats" are very picky with their food- they tend to be feel hungry, but most foods are not palatable to them, so a lot of song and dance goes into making eating interesting for them- and yet their food must be very specific for their kidney needs.

Eventually, it came to weekly fluids, which I didn't mind taking her to the vet to do, because she still had so much "life" left in her!!
Still liked to play, snuggle, scold the younger cats, etc., We did this for quite a long time, but to spare the details of the rather quick deterioration at the end... it was just obvious when she could no longer do her life, and I understood completely.

Though I know it was the right thing, my mourning was extremely deep- and even now too difficult and inexplicable for words.

Some of you may know about, and/or at least have seen some blurbs about my medical issues floating around, so you might guess, that March, in particular, was one of the most difficult months I've had in a super long time, and we are still reaping the hardships... such things don't just come and go... they are ongoing for a while.

I wanted to give beloved Katie Rose the tribute she truly deserves, like perhaps on a journal, or something, but, with the time that's past, and the time I lack, this is the best I can do.

I did know I couldn't let life go completely by saying nothing at all,
seeing just how incredibly much she meant, and will always mean, to me.

Other photos I have of her on dA:




I dream of you over the Rainbow Bridge, eating whatever you want, my beloved Katie Rose.


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