He arrived as a feral tom, and was never very big, but was a thug and a bully to all the other cats until we got him tame enough to go and be neutered, and he was a different cat after that. No more rape and pillage. He had a good life with us - only this morning he was sat next to Pippi up on the bank in the little bit of sunshine we had today. I will miss him so - he sat beside me on the sofa every night, and sat beside me as I was on the computer, sitting on my mouse hand!
As always, Danny stepped into the breach, went to the vet's with me, and came home and went out to dig a deep grave for him. I will plant a rose by it - in fact I ordered one only last night, which I had in my garden at Ynyswen, and really loved, called Tuscany Superb, a deep crimson Gallica shrub rose with a lovely perfume.
D, E, I and myself went out for a walk through the woods in the wet snow earlier - too wet for anything to lay but the distant hills have a sprinkling of white. It was good to clear my head anyway, but a sad day here.
It's hard to hold back the tears, as all the grief I feel in losing Keith inch by inch has been released too.
R.I.P. Ghengis. A handsome boy and a lucky one to be so loved. Janx
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry.
ReplyDeleteSaddened to hear this news. Our pets give us so much, and our grief when they die seems so hard to bear, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteBe kind to yourself.
Fly high over the rainbow bridge Ghengis. He obviously found a lovely home with you and Keith. Hugs Xx
ReplyDeleteI don’t think there is anything which hurts quite so much as having to say goodbye to a beloved four-paws. Ghengis was a fabulous looking chap and how lovely that this morning he sat in the sunshine.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you all, x
So sorry, a sad day. There is something rather wonderful about that lovely whiskery old face, it speaks of a real character. Rest in peace old boy.
ReplyDeleteHugs BB, am so sorry at least he is not suffering. I think that is what my Molly passed with last year - no sign from her either. A cat with character who bought so much love with him and who was so loved xx
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about Ghengis. He had a long and much loved life but it still hurts when we have to say goodbye.
ReplyDeleteOhh, I am so sad for you. I had to bury my sweet Vladimir a couple of years ago and felt as if I had lost a relative. He was almost 19 years old and had been my only sweet kitty after his sister Natasha had died in 2016from cancer. They steal our hearts away, don't they? Since I have lived alone for 37 years my kitties are my family. If I lived close, you would get a hug if you needed one.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry. It's so hard to say goodbye to a beloved pet. He had a long good life with you.
ReplyDeleteAwe, so sorry for the loss of your fur baby. He had a very good life with you.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I emailed you about an hour ago--likely the wee hours there in Wales. A fresh grief is so apt to bring on an avalanche--old sorrows and those we anticipate as waiting in the wings. Genghis had a look of our venerable Willis--I often muse that with the many, many tabbies in the world no two are exact replicas. Poor feral toms--they are hardly responsible for their thuggish ways.
ReplyDeleteOh, so sad. Your heart aches doubly, doesn't it. But you can be happy that you gave him the best life, and he died surrounded by love - so often one wonders if the 'missing cat' is suffering. Not so Ghengis. Planting his rose will help. Thanking of you as you travel the hard road. XX
ReplyDeleteOh Jen I am so sad to read this x I know exactly how you are feeling and yes that thin valve has now been breached and a lot of tears will come, I’m the same. What a character he was, faithful companion too, and his ending was swift, to be sat in sunshine as one edges towards the end is a blessing and in time that is the moment which when you think of him will make you smile. Huge love to you x rest in peace Ghengis you lovable rascal you xx Danette xx
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear this. Cat's get right into your heart don't they.
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone. He's left a big hole in my heart, but then he was here for many years and always close to me. It's odd not to have him sat on my mouse hand as I type this . . . Kittens are being silly though, so they help ease the pain.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, what a handsome boy Ghengis was. Good for you for reacting promptly so he didn’t suffer. I am so pleased you have Lulu and Pippi to keep you company and lots of other distractions too although I am sure you will never forget Ghengis, especially when sitting at the keyboard. It has been very wet again and the water meadows are once again sheets of water and I can hardly believe I enjoyed three sunny hours in the garden on Tuesday. The snowdrops have mostly gone over but the primroses are looking better than ever. Last year’s cold dry February saw the snowdrops thrive and the primroses sulk, this wet warm February has seen the reverse. I am having a big sort out of one third of the pergola this spring as I’m lifting, dividing and potting on all the perennials. As I clear I am adding a thick layer of homemade compost mixed with well rotted grass cuttings and leaf mould. When the weather has warmed up and the soil is nice and receptive I will replant around the lilacs, roses, clematis, jasmine, peonies, grasses and hellebores which are all staying in place. I carried my old galvanised staging from the greenhouse to the pergola paving so I could work comfortably in a standing position when dividing and potting on and so far I have made at least seven new plants each of achillea moonlight, sedum, a lovely white aster called summer’s farewell, a white Veronica and dark blue geranium Magnificum. I have ripped out the six year old Gaura plants sown from seed in 2018 as I’ve just sown fresh seed and I need to think hard about the salvias as some of them like my well-drained sandy soil too much and are becoming too thuggish especially around the roses - S. uglinosa I am looking at you despite your beautiful sky blue flowers all summer long. Hope you can get out into the garden soon BB. I bought a pack of ranunculus the other day and planted the 20 claws into a wide terracotta bowl, watered them and left them in the greenhouse as I know ranunculus grow well under glass especially when grown for the cut flower market. I think you bought a pack of ranunculus recently so if yours are sitting on the side get them planted into a nice pot in your greenhouse soon. You mentioned Emma’s seeds too. In my experience rocket and radish must be sown direct and even in the South I don’t think I’ll be doing any direct sowing until Easter. But if Emma is itching to get started she could sow a shallow seed tray with dried peas and within a couple of weeks she could be cutting tasty pea shoots. This would be a great thing to do with little I as it involves maths and counting. Warning - don’t leave a tray of pea shoots uncovered in the greenhouse unless you want to feed the local mice - although that could be educational too! So far I have only sown for indoor germination sweet peas, Gaura, cosmos, chillies and tomatoes. Oh good, S is just home with the paper so I think I’ll make a cafetière of coffee and continue my lazy morning. Have a lovely day BB and I hope Ghengis has found his old friend Theo by now. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteI love reading about your plantings. I really MUST get the staging put together today - that will be a challenge for my wits! I have SO MANY seeds to start off too. Your garden sounds to have wonderful soil as everything grows so well there. I am still getting things established. My Ranunculus are planted but have yet to show their faces (too cold and wet they say!) "I" and I planted some bulbs I found in the garden shed part of my stables, and also some Pot Marigolds (through now) and Nasturtiums. She loves being out in the garden.
DeleteEmma and Danny need to dig their plot over and the old beds I've given them need feeding too, though one will be for herbs and is already half-full of golden Marjoram gone feral! Pea Shoots are a great idea as she bought some at the Farmer's Market this week. We can get those started off in the - hopefully mouse-proof - greenhouse.
He looks such a sweet cat, they always leave a big hole in your life.
ReplyDeleteAll my love to you, losing a pet is soul destroying😿. It is so tragic that you are also, as you say, losing your soulmate Keith, stay strong dear lady🙏. Jan in Castle Gresley
ReplyDeleteSo very sorry, how heartbreaking it is when our dear pets leave this world.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you
Alison in Wales x
It is so hard when a beloved pet dies. Sounds like he had a good life.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to lose a pet. He was your companion for a long time and you will miss him. Rather nice he was enjoying the sunshine earlier in the day. You were loving to the end and did not let him suffer.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you have lost your dear old friend. The death of a pet is heartbreaking. It is comforting for you to have the DEIs with you. Remember Genghis well, with love.
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone for your kind comments. It was his time, and he had a good innings, and I think his kidneys were in worse shape than I realized as we have been able to shed the small 3rd litter tray which was always in need of complete emptying each morning. I do miss him though - I even miss going out to check where he was in the yard before moving the car as he had gotten deaf and was inclined to shelter under the car if it was raining, or worse still, to just walk in front of any moving vehicle, oblivious!
ReplyDeleteI could have sworn I commented! But I'm sorry to read about poor Genghis, but I am very happy that this did not happen while you were still trying to handle everything on your own. Thank goodness for Danny, Emma and even little I. I can understand completely why the death of one beloved thing would trigger a wave of grief at the thought of losing Keith. Hugs to you.
ReplyDeleteI was indeed grateful to have Danny with me to share the burden. I am so proud of him (and the girls too of course).
ReplyDelete