She seemed to be sick for a couple weeks, so my dad took her to the vet several times. They couldn't seem to figure out what the problem was but gave him different things to try, thinking it would help. But it wasn't helping, and she seemed to be getting worse. My dad took her back to the vet and they sent him to a specialist who then diagnosed her with aggressive cancer. We found out last Wednesday that she had the cancer and didn't have that much longer to live. They could do chemo for her, but it would only give her about 4 more months of life. My dad decided not to put her through this and stress her out even more, and finally made the difficult decision to stop her suffering and let her be in peace.
A little over 6 years ago, after coming home from a Michigan State football game, my dad came to me and asked if I had ever seen this cat before and showed me a cat that had been following him up the driveway outside. I told him no, I'd never seen the cat, and he let the cat in, fed it, and petted it for a while. We let her spend the night inside and then my dad let her back out the next day. Well, she didn't stay away! She came right back and tried to get back into our house! So my dad let her back in and decided to ask around the neighborhood to see if she belonged to someone.
We found out that it belonged to a neighbor's ex-boyfriend who was no longer in the neighborhood. The neighbor didn't really want a cat and put her outside, where she stayed for a couple weeks in his shed. He would feed her, but would not let her back in the house.
Well, the cat seemed to take a liking to my dad, and my dad to her, and so he asked the neighbor if we could just keep the cat. Since the neighbor didn't want the cat, he was of course, totally fine with it.
Now this cat became my dad's new best friend and most beloved possession. This cat would follow my dad all around the house, and everywhere my dad was, there was the cat! We had to give her a name since she officially belonged to us! My cat's name was Faith and at the time, I was wearing one of those rubber cancer bracelet's that my mom gave out at her Breast Cancer Fundraiser. The bracelet said "Faith, Hope, Love." I told my dad Hope! That's a beautiful name! So the name stuck and she became my dad's Hope, love and joy.
For the last 6 years, this cat has stolen my dad's heart. She hardly ever went to anyone else, but instead could always be found in my dad's lap. He told me that he had a special bond with her and that God had led her to him.
Well, when we found out that she had aggressive cancer, of course my dad was devastated. I think one of the worse things in life is seeing someone who always seems so strong cry. I've never seen my dad more upset than he has been the last week. The empathy I have felt for my dad the last week has been consuming a ton of space in my heart.
When he realized that she was just going to get worse, that nothing would help her feel better, and he could see her hurting, he decided to do the thing that was best for her, and let her go instead of being selfish and dragging out her life for himself. He made the decision to get her humanely euthanized.
The vet came today and it was really peaceful and she didn't fight at all. Now God has one more kitty angel in Heaven watching over my dad and protecting him.
Hope left this world too soon, but during her time on Earth she was more loved than any other cat I have ever known. My dad plucked her from the hardships/possibility of a short life by letting her into his heart and life. Now she will be watching him from above.
The ironic thing? Her name, Hope, came from a cancer bracelet, which eventually ended up taking her life.
Paw Prints On Your Heart
(Found online - source unknown)
She came into your life one day,
So beautufil and smart
A dear and sweet companion,
You loved her from the start.
And though you knew the time would come,
When you would have to part,
She'll never be forgotten,
She left pawprints on your heart.
RIP little Hopie, and watch over my father. We love you.
No comments:
Post a Comment