I want to thank each and every one of you who have left messages of condolence or have emailed me. You have made a very difficult time a little bit easier for me. (And a special thank you to all Maxx's blogger buddies who posted tributes to him) I miss him terribly already, but I'm relieved that his pain is finally over. Someone said today that he's frolicking with the other kitties in heaven tonight, but when I think about it, I remember how much Mr. Plushy loved humans. I'll bet he's making the rounds of all the angels, seeing what they're up to, sitting in their laps and scamming chin scritches from them.
Dr. Pendant posted this little bit of verse that I think is lovely (from Romeo and Juliet, I believe):
When he shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars
And he shall make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
I believe I will always look at the starry night sky and smile, thinking of my dear little Maxx. I hope you all will too.
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43 comments:
Maxx was a good good kitty, with a good good centaur to take care of him.
Dear 4LG, many thanks for your kindness in sharing The Great Plushy One with us all. Please take good care of yourself. I will never look at a star in the sky again without thinking of dear sweet Mr. Plushy. Many lizard tails to his sweetness&light.
I'll think of Junie Moon and my sweet Willie, my two *hearts* and now Maxx, when I look up into the starry sky. Thank you, fourlegs, for sharing your odyssey of love with us.
Another kitty is going to be very blessed to know you. Somehow the *2-month* rule has always applied for me. You think you can never love another and then one day you spot a funny, tilted head, looking at you with such longing and you find yourself scooping them up in your arms and saying: "I'll take this one!".
Good luck to you and your new best friend(s)... might as well get two (wink), when you are ready!
Thanks Jenny.
Don't be a stranger. We miss you.
It's such a tragedy, I don't know what to say. I'm very sorry for your loss, but I'm also glad that Maxx was so dearly loved these past years.
I feel like my life's emptier, now that I won't be seeing new pictures of him, or hearing about what he's up to.
Lots of love to you both, and please take care of yourself.
I feel like my life's emptier, now that I won't be seeing new pictures of him, or hearing about what he's up to.
Mine too, dear friend. But he was in terrible pain and I am glad that is over for him now.
you have my sympathy- it was no doubt a wrenching experience for you, it always is. always.
but "no one we love is ever really dead", as someone said a long while back.
nick carraway
Oh so sad to hear that Maxx is gone, yet relieved he is no longer in pain. I too have a Maxx - his name is Bluto and he came to me all beat up and puffy and meowing for help. A thousand dollars and several months later, I have a bestest friend and protector. He is my puppycat. Alas, he has FIV, so I know time may not be long - but like you and Maxx - every day is a gift. Kitties = love.
Morgane la douce is with Maxx, touring with the angels.
Prend soin de toi Fourlegs
Plum and Henriette (from a shelter, came into my life to make it more joyful after Morgane passed)
four legs good said...
... he was in terrible pain and I am glad that is over for him now.
I am so sorry that you and he had to go through that. He was greatly loved, and I'm sure he knew that. And you are a champ, for being there with him through all that.
Talesoftwokitties,
My vet tells me that in his 40 years of practice he hasn't noticed that FIV meant anything more for kitties than a somewhat heightened tendency to get whatever's going around, and possibly oral ulcers. I have an FIV+ feral who's lived with me for over 10 years, most of it as an outdoor cat (he hates being inside) and has yet to have a health problem. Courage!
Alas, he has FIV, so I know time may not be long - but like you and Maxx - every day is a gift. Kitties = love.
Oh, I am so sorry. Cherish your time with him. And send me a photo.
Maxx reminds me of my own cat, who died not too long ago of kidney failure. He'd been dumped at my work site and I adopted him. He was a very affectionate guy, and used to love hanging out with me and watching TV. I don't watch nearly as much TV any more.
Sorry for you loss, 4LG. They always manage to make us love them, the little buggers.
Good luck with your cat, Tales Of Two Kitties.
Seeing so many of us sending you condolences and loving sympathy made me feel better, too. We liberals are a decent, kindly bunch of people.
Do you know that people were leaving comments for you and Maxx at other sites? Like Watertiger's, NTodd, Jeffraham Prestonian and Atrios.
I'm glad you're thinking about smiling in the future.
Kevin Drum also lost one of his cats on Jan.4. Among his condolences, one person said "At least (Jasmine) lived long enough to see the Democrats retake congress." This is the single most successful note of "sympathy" I've ever seen, cause it could make me laugh through tears.
So sorry about your loss. I also want to say how much I loved his name, suited him perfectly. Saw the pics from your comments on Atrios, though I mostly lurked. I could not leave a comment yesterday thanks to blogger so left a comment at Todds.
I'm so sorry for your loss. Have seven of my own (and dogs). He was a fine looking kitty and I hope your good memories of him will comfort you thru this time.
I was planning on posting a tribute to Maxx at Blast Off! on Friday, being Cat Blogging Day. Please don't think my delay is due to neglect, 4lg.
I don't have a cat - never have, in fact - but I do feel the need for Friday Cat Blogging this week. You have been in my thoughts.
I haven't been able to stop hugging my menagerie for days now. I need to post more pics of them, in Maxx's honor.
I thought that was Maxx up there, next to Gemini. I'm glad he made it.
Thank you. That's lovely.
MAXX!
i've been away, so this is sad news.
you did the right thing fourlegs, peace on you, and MAXX!
sorry about your Maxx. he was a sweetie.
Sally, I'm glad Monsieur is feeling better.
:)
mestizo
4lg,
I've been praying that maybe Maxx and Cosmo can play together beyond the heavens, since they were both close in age and close in death. And sweeties, to boot.
I'm so sorry. I still miss my little guy - even though it's been two months.
Vicki, my first dog passed away over 26 years ago, second dog about 15 years ago, my elder cat almost 5 y. ago...I still miss them and somedays it's like it just happened. Don't harsh yourself over missing your furball, it will come and go. Be sure to celebrate them when you start to feel down. They wouldn't want you sad on their account.
Hugs,
Elspeth Ravenwind
I was so touched when you began posting the pictures sent to you by the commenters of their own kitties. It was a beautiful tribute to Maxx -- I was smiling even as I was grieving for Maxx.
I'll miss Maxx, but I'll still have 4Legs to keep me company -- so please don't stop blogging. Looking forward to whatever you find interesting in this world of ours.
Thank you for sharing Maxx with us.
I'm so sorry. I still miss my little guy - even though it's been two months.
Of course you do, you'll probably always miss him.
I do hope you'll open your heart to another kitty though.
*sniffle*
Bye bye lion kitty. If I find you in the starry night sky (NYC is hopeless for light pollution, but we've been lucky with some clear nights) it'll probably be close by the constellation Orion, hunting critters and getting scritches from the master hunter.
{{{flg}}}
"ThePoliticalCat said...
Talesoftwokitties,
My vet tells me that in his 40 years of practice he hasn't noticed that FIV meant anything more for kitties than a somewhat heightened tendency to get whatever's going around, and possibly oral ulcers. I have an FIV+ feral who's lived with me for over 10 years, most of it as an outdoor cat (he hates being inside) and has yet to have a health problem. Courage!"
Thanks for this info and reassurance. I've had him going on 3 years now and the only problem is that he's lost his two lower fangs! He (and my 2 others) are indoor cats, so he is safe and happy.
FourLegsGood - your stories and photos of Maxx just reinforce the importance of pets in our lives. We love them and they love us back! Thanks for that! And take care
i am so sorry for your loss, 4lg. Maxx looks like he was a well loved kitty.
Of course you do, you'll probably always miss him.
I do hope you'll open your heart to another kitty though.
Within days of losing Luna, my girlfriend took the initiative of adopting two adorable critters for me. Odin and Freya and been with me over 4 years now, and I can't imagine life without them. I never stop thinking of my beautiful calico who went too soon, but the memories are sweet.
I have only just stumbled on your blog and have tears in my eyes for your dear Maxx. These furbabies wrap themselves around our hearts and break them when they die but I wouldn't have it any other way because they do so much to make our life richer. Be very gentle with yourself and respect the grief that the loss of Maxx brings on. I am so sorry for you. Maxx has met all the cats my family and I have sent on to the great catnip patch in the sky... and my grandmother is busy knitting afghans for all of them!
That's one of my favorite pieces of Shakespeare. My kitty went away 2 months ago. She was dying and got out of the house, never to be seen again. (We thought she was hiding, as she did twice a day when it was time to get her medicine.) She was an indoor cat who had never been more than 15 feet from the house. I had hoped to have more control over the manner of her passing, but my sister in law said, "She was a cat to the end, in death as in life, wanting things her own way...insisting on being in control." It took several weeks before I stopped hearing Bat's voice on the wind. I'm so sorry about Maxx. When I feel sad about my fur child, I imagine her hale and hearty again and feel a little better.
She was dying and got out of the house, never to be seen again.
When Maxx disappeared, I thought that's what had happened.
I'm so glad I got to say goodbye to him.
Mrs. Poopyman and I found the RIP post almost simultaneously, from opposite ends of the house. We met in the dining room as we were going to tell each other, and hugged.
Tux has stayed close by me these past two days. He knows something has made us sad, and he's been worried.
Last night there was an interesting exchange on Firedoglake, and Rayne has captured what I wanted to say to you better than I could say it myself. TRex said:
" I have an 18-year-old Siamese and I dread the day when he becomes really ill. My vet that did house calls has moved away and (this is a measure of how silly I can be) the other day I got so upset that I started to cry thinking about how much he hates the car and how awful it would/will be to have to take him to the vet someday to have him put down, to have to hear him howl and know that he’s frightened and upset and then hand him over to the vet for euthanasia."
And Rayne responded:
"TRex — when the right day comes, your beloved kitty will not yowl or be as afraid as you think.
It will be time because of this.
One of the values we progressives don’t talk about often enough, but is intrinsic to our beliefs is mercy. When the time comes, TRex, concentrate on the gift of mercy.
I had to put my own beloved kitty to sleep 13 years ago this month; I had to help a friend last week with preparing to put her beloved dog to sleep. Both times it came down to mercy, being merciful.
It will not be easy, but you will be merciful out of love. And it will be okay."
I'm glad you had the time with Maxx that you did. You knew what you had to do, no matter how much you hated doing it. Never second-guess this. It was the right thing at the right time. You knew. Now is the time to let the sorrow heal.
And no need to wonder if/when another cat will adopt you. When you're ready, they have an uncanny ability to just show up, and that'll be it.
My condolences, FLG... Thank you so much for sharing your life with Maxx with all of us. Thanks also to all of the commenters here and at Eschaton and Presto-Change-o and everywhere who have left such beautiful and inspiring comments.
I'm going to go away and cry more now...
Thank you Poopyman- it was so very hard, but I was determined to do the right thing by him.
Right for him, not right or easy for me. So I stayed in the room with him and held his little paw and stroked his ears until it was done. Most vets will let you do this so they aren't frightened.
It about killed me, but I'm at peace with it, and so glad that he's no longer hurting.
Give Tux a hug for me.
He's happy now, my friend.
Beyond pain, past suffering.
I'm so sorry--more later--right now I'm too bummed to be coherent and, uh, anything like that.
Lion Kitty Maxx inspired me to get a Maine Coon cat, Mariekiki.
You will love another cat--may take some time....
jawbone
I am so very sorry to hear that Lion Kitty Maxx has left the planet. Who will protect us all from evil Alien Carrots? Thank you so much for sharing his life with us, and for giving him a good life during the time you spent together.
Lion Kitty Maxx inspired me to get a Maine Coon cat, Mariekiki.
You will love another cat--may take some time....
jawbone
Oh, but that's wonderful!!
Please send me a picture. That's like a Maxx legacy.
Thank you for sharing you beatiful cat with us. He will be missed. Take care of yourself!
kingboogen
What a great photo. What a face.
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