Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Saying goodbye to Bubba

The Lovely Becky and I had to put our oldest cat down today. Butterscotch was his Christian name, but to us he was Bubba. He made it to the ripe old age of 17 before his failing health forced our hand.

TLB got him the year before we were married, so he's been a part of us as long as their has officially been an us. He also seemed very human, very aware of things, in ways that our other two cats were not. Bubba was the anti-LOLcat, a cat who would speak in complete sentences if he could speak, whose eyes said he was trying to understand the meaning of his existence in a vast, uncaring universe. He seemed so much like a person trapped in a cat's body that he almost made me believe in reincarnation.

His lasting legacy is that he made me a cat person, despite my best efforts to fight it. Prior to today, I probably wouldn't admit that. But as I petted him for the last time at the vet's office, there was no question that I was a cat person.

We buried him in the backyard at TLB's parents house, next to his half-brother, VC. VC was also put down earlier this year at the age of 21, a longevity made even more astonishing by the fact that he was completely blind for most of his life. They both enjoyed far more licking, petting, table scraps, and naps than most cats. Bubba had a good life, and we didn't want to see that good life end painfully.

R.I.P.

13 comments:

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Best wishes Brando.

I know how it feels.

fish said...

Very sad. I buried my dog last year and will be burying my 17yo cat sometime this year, I can relate.

Jennifer said...

Oh Brando... that's such a hard thing to do. I'm sorry.

Kathleen said...

rest in peace Bubba.

condolence Brando and TLB. it sucks.

Hamish Mack said...

Our ole cat Mr P.T.Barnum went to Valhalla a couple of years ago and had been with us about as long as we married. It's tough all right. Sympathy to you both

AdorableGirlfriend said...

Hugs to you both. It's not easy to say goodbye. I don't want to see the day come when I have to put kitty baby down.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

RIP Bubba.
~

blue girl said...

Sorry, Brando & Family. :(

Churlita said...

Sorry about your kitty, Brando.

I guess the longevity of the blind kitty is more evidence that what you don't see can't hurt you....

Brando said...

Thanks for all the nice comments. I was surprising much more upset about this than I expected to be, and I appreciate everyone's thoughts.

Michelle Falkoff said...

Very sorry to hear about Bubba...please pass my sympathies along to TLB as well.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

It's one of the most emotionally wrenching things that anyone has to do. Resquiat in pacem, Bubba.

Distributorcap said...

i know how hard this is - i had to put my guy down a while back and i still think of him

bubba is looking down and mewing at you