I had a cat. Bucky. In May of 2007 we found this little guy in our potting soil out back. No mom around and no siblings. Just this tiny little guy with his eyes barely open. It was estimated that he was 10 to 14 days old. We decided to take him in and foster him.
I had no idea what I was getting into. Did you know kittens don't go to the bathroom on their own? When mama cat is licking their bums, she's stimulating them to go. I had to learn how to do that - no, I didn't lick him. I learned to simulate that with a little wad of charmin.
Every two hours he ate. And ate. He had to come to work with me so I could feed him.
And I sang after every feeding - You are my Buck-shine, my only Buck-shine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my Buck-shine away".
The years past and this tiny little yellow cat turned into a robust big yellow fella. We loved that cat. He was trained on a leash so he could safely go outside.
And he slept in the bed with us.
As he lay fading from consciousness, I began to sing - You are my Buck-shine. My only Buck-shine... and I sobbed.
It's been a rough couple of weeks. I've lost beloved pets before, but never have I felt the depth of sorrow this boy has left. There is an actual energy void in our house. We feel that he's not here. My heart has been aching.
But life does go on. We are trying to move forward without our boy, but God. I miss him.
I am so sorry to hear about your precious Bucky. I have lost a lot of pets, and I know it is very hard to say goodbye. He is so cute in all the pictures you shared. I can't believe how tiny he was when you found him! I also did not know that about how mother cats lick their kittens to get them to go to the bathroom. I can tell that Bucky was very dear to you, and any cat who has someone love him that much is a very lucky kitty who had a very happy life. Sending a virtual hug to you!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your loss. It is such a hard time.
ReplyDeleteOh I am so sorry for your loss. He was absolutely adorable. We once had a kitten that we found in a wood pile and my mother in law fed him round the clock and stimulated his bum with a washcloth. Once the cat was weaned we had it for all of 2 weeks before we gave it back to her. She kept calling to check on him, wanted to come have dinner so she could see him and I knew she honestly missed that cat as much as she wanted to give him to us.
ReplyDeleteWe don't know each other, but my heart breaks for you. I still miss my dearest kitty who died at 21 years of age 7 years ago! You 2 had such a bond. I have a huge orange male cat now that I adopted after his mom was killed by a coyote in the country. A witness to that took him to my vet & they called me to ask if I could adopt him - about 5-6 weeks old. He was 22 lbs at 7 y/o then lost to about 12 lbs due to cancer of his bowel. After $1,000's, he is doing well & back to 18 lbs now; takes 3 meds including chemotherapy. He & I have a closer bond after all the vet visits, etc. Bucky reminds me of him. You gave Bucky a wonderful life & he was blessed to have been taken in by you. As short a life as he had, he was loved every day of it. Hugs
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry for your loss. He was a lovely cat and he lived a happy life with you. I still miss the cat I had when I was eight and she's been gone for over thirty years. Actually, I was so shocked when she died I never wanted to have another pet. This year my kids finally convinced me and we now have a pet bunny.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for your loss. Pets are a member of the family, and he knows that you loved him. May you find strength in the joy he brought you, and the memories that he left you with.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story of your special and beloved boy on our blog hop. We certainly hope others will stop and leave their condolences. So many of us have experienced the same loss and know how empty you and your home feel. You will be in my heart as you mourn the loss of your special love. Hugs, Janet
ReplyDeleteThank you for being here on the the hop, so we could share you story and celebrate the wonderful life you nurtured and shared and cared for and lived for and with. Sending you lots of gentle purrs to help heel the wounds of your loss. Celebrate not commiserate and you will truly be together for ever.
ReplyDeleteErin
I am so sorry for the loss of your beautiful boy. XO
ReplyDeleteWhat a star you boy was, and, like always, their loss breaks us into pieces. BUT the love and the memories remain.
ReplyDeleteWe're so sorry of your loss. We had tears while reading your special story of your beloved Buck. Soft Pawkisses to comfort you. Fly Free beautiful Soul❤❤❤
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like that special bond when you are bringing up a little kitten and have to bottle-feed and do bathroom detail too. I shared this experience because I also brought up a tiny kitten (whose litter mates died) from about 5 days old. Up at night every two hours. Took him to work with me in a shoe box. So I totally "get" that special bond. Please accept my heartfelt condolences. Carol
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