R.I.P. Little Whale

 Yesterday was a sad day here, as L. Whale suddenly became very ill.  He had been very fussy about eating for about 3 weeks, not eating any biscuits. Yesterday morning though he suddenly ate his AND Alfie's, so I thought oh good, he's back to normal.  When we got back from a couple of hours in Hay-on-Wye, we found L. Whale's breathing was very laboured and so we took him straight down to the vet.  They put him on Oxygen and I left him to have an X-ray.  The results were not good.  His heart beat was very rapid and his lungs surrounded with fluid - congestive heart failure.  There was only one decision to take.  Fortunately Tam was here - he was her special cat - and we both went down to give him such love as he passed from this world.  He was 16.  

It is hard to remember a time without him.  He was one of three kittens born to a stray, Miffy we called her, who had lost an eye in an accident before we got her.  Danny named him Jarvis, but he was always a well built cat and soon became known as Little Whale.  His black and white brother, Tippy, was sadly poisoned by a Gamekeeper on the next property over.  He and Alfie would hunt rabbits, and sometimes L. Whale would be gone for a fortnight, feeding himself.  Tam reminded me of how they used to play hide and seek together :)  

They carried on hunting rabbits here, until the rabbits got Myxi, and then they gave it up as a bad job.

He leaves a gaping hole.  With his claw operations this year he has had lots of extra love and cuddles, and slept close to me on my bed every night.  He liked to sit out on the little lawn where I have my patio set, soaking up the sunshine, brother Alfie nearby.  Rosie has been putting her arms gently round him, and kissing his head, and telling him how much she loves him, bless her.

I am not fit to be seen, as crying has made my eyes so puffy I can barely see, and a cold flannel isn't helping much.  I will need to keep busy today.  I have had to cancel the wet felting I was going to go to tomorrow, and won't go to the History society talk tonight either.