RIP Nala the Rescue Cat
Nala passed away this morning in my daughter’s arms after over 17 years with us. She had been sick for a few months with kidney disease and other issues, but she waited until everyone was together for Thanksgiving to say goodbye. I had a feeling she was close to the end, but she always hated going to the vet, and she still seemed to be enjoying eating and sitting outside in the sun by the pond on Friday, so I delayed taking her in. She went downhill fast yesterday.
She was found by a friend as a tiny kitten with 2 siblings, discarded like rubbish on the road by a bus stop. We took her to the vet and then nursed her to health (her 2 siblings went to other homes but did not make it). She was a quirky, bossy, beautiful cat and we loved her dearly. Unfortunately she had an accident slipping on stairs her second Halloween with us and broke her jaw. Multiple very delicate surgeries and very large vet bills later, she recovered, but her tongue always stuck out, her jaw never worked 100% and she suffered arthritic pain in her later years.
She was an excellent mouse hunter in her youth. She sometimes acted more like a dog, wanting to join in on walks. Chicken, especially juicy bar-b-q chicken, was her favourite food. She could always tell if there was any in the fridge and would beg and even do tricks for it. She never liked other cats or dogs (she really hated Kilo the foster pug and hissed and scratched at him right until her last day).
She loved being patted/massaged by me, but only in exactly the right spots, in the right way, for the right amount of time. Try to touch her stomach, and she bit and scratched in a second. She despised any help with grooming.
We’ll miss you Nala, but I am sure you are free from pain and in a better place.
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