Week 49 - Goodbye to Pie

The week started out great and went seriously downhill from there. The worst it can get pretty much.

I was in holiday clear out mode after my super productive Thanksgiving break so started the week with a get rid of everything lunch hour. I dropped 9 charity hats off for the School of Natural Resources adopt Clinton School campaign, then dropped the soap from UAAD's recent drive in a People's City Mission drop box and finally got rid of the Tokyo cage I'd had since last winter when I had Jay, the sick campus cat, in my spare bedroom. It was in my yard for months and then rattling in the backseat of my car for a week or more. Goodbye! Then I brought apple pie to knitting and Donna gave me a huge bag of lemons from her brother's tree in California. Nice day, right?

And Tuesday started out nice too. I went to Trader Joe's at lunch and bought mini poinsettias for everyone in the office along with lots of Christmas goodies. Stockings were almost done. But when I got home that night, it was clear that Pie's rally from Thanksgiving weekend was over. She had stopped eating again and the end was coming. I woke up at 3:00 a.m. that night to check on her and she was fading fast. But not fast enough because this was only the first Pie check in the wee hours.

The door decorating contest judging and party was at 2:00 on Wednesday. Since our door was not only festive but automated with a Rube Goldberg machine that turned on lights and music, I thought for sure we'd win. Nope. Everyone voted for their own door so the 2 offices with the most employees – Accounting and AP/Payroll – won. Lame! Union Bank provided lots of cookies so that was fun. It was a gorgeous day so we took a walk outside to enjoy it and then I went to swimming, which I'm so not into these days, and the instructor didn't show up. Seriously? We did our own thing and left a bit early. I went home for Survivor and a Pie check. Still alive and worse than the morning so I messaged the cleaning lady to warn her that a dying cat might be on the rug by the back door and to just ignore that entire corner of the room.

Pie was even weaker in the morning and I headed to work sure she wouldn't make it through the day, which was a quick one because I trained for 3 hours in the afternoon. Well, when I got home I went immediately to check on Pie and she must have been freaked out by the cleaning lady because she bolted down the basement stairs. Since she hadn't moved in more than 24 hours, I was shocked. I also couldn't find her so went to book club thinking I'd be crawling around looking for her when I got back. But when I got back she was back on her rug by the slider. Until she saw me and bolted down the stairs again. Clearly she'd had a traumatic day, which was sad.

When I got up in the wee hours to check for her, she was at the top of the stairs and unable to move. I picked her up and put her on the heating pad and she was still there in the morning. But when I opened the door to let the other cats out, she ran out too – across the deck and into the garage. I should mention that the temp had plummeted overnight and it was freezing outside. I called and called her but she didn't come and when I checked her favorite spot in the garage, there she was. She had somehow pulled herself up onto the cushions on the table and was sitting pretty. I figured she had gone to her happy place to die and left for work, not knowing where these bursts of energy were coming from. At the end of the day, I skipped swimming to go straight home and check on her. She was in the exact same spot and cold but still alive. Shocking. I picked her up (there was still some fight in her) and took her inside to her spot on the heating pad. I turned it up to medium and she flung herself off after awhile but it appeared she was done. I went to bed sure I'd find her dead the next morning.

OMG! She was still alive Saturday morning! She couldn't move and her breathing was labored but still alive. Such a will to live! She was sleeping in the sun on her heating pad with Pixel right next to her, which confirmed my decision to let her die at home instead of traumatizing her with a trip to the vet. But I could not face the thought of watching her die so when Andrea suggested an Omaha run, I jumped at the chance. I thought we'd only be gone for a few hours but her dinner plans had fallen through so we made a long day of it. My goal was to hit World Market for stocking stuffers and get milk at Aldi but we thrifted all over Omaha beforehand, including New Life Thrift. They have a seasonal store that I haven't been to in years and it was fun. By the time I dropped Andrea and got home, it was after 9:00 p.m. And yes, Pie was still alive. I could not believe it. All I could do was love on her and go to bed.

Pie was dead when I woke up Sunday morning. It had been a grueling week and as long as it took her to go, I questioned my decision to let her die at home. I had dug a hole in my side garden before I left for Omaha on Saturday so waited for it to warm up outside and then buried her. My plan had been to put my Christmas tree up but I wasn't feeling it. I had done one load of laundry and hung it out on Saturday (it was a damp mess when I got home so late – whatever) but did 2 more loads on Sunday. That's all I managed to get done. I didn't even knit much. I don't know what I did all day. Grieved I guess. But it was a blessing. Now to move on and get some Christmas spirit. Here's a picture of her from happier, healthier times. She was the most beautiful cat I've ever had. I called her my calendar kitty.