Tails of the Kitty: A Holiday Farewell, Boopers R.I.P

The holiday season was not all festive, for on Monday December 26th I had to say goodbye to my quiet, beautiful, loving fur baby Boopers. Boopers passed away quietly after a short 3 days of respiratory struggles at our veterinary hospital, Banfield.

Jul 15, 2008 – Dec 26, 2022

Boopers was a rescue cat I adopted from the local animal shelter. A beautiful Seal Point Siamese cat who had been abused by previous owners. He joined our household in 2010; it was just myself and Benny at that time. Boopers was literally a scaredy cat! The harm and trauma inflected on him caused him to flee any room where ever people were. For the first month he would skirt along the edges of the room and I could catch flashes of him darting by.

Amazingly Benny and Boopers became loving brothers fast. Benny, a Blue Point Siamese and quite smaller, loved his new older brother. They played, wrestled, snuggled and groomed each other.

After a time, Boopers allowed me to hold him (for a very short amount of time) and would sit on my lap. Being a bigger cat, he was not very verbal.

He had an almost inaudible meow. Boopers’ way of communication was rubbing up against you, giving you the “long” stare and affectionally licking your fingers or hands.

Neal would tell everyone these are not his cats. His family jokes about his non-love for pets. They belong to Robert. Which is true but I have photo evidence of both Benny and Boopers bonding with him. Ha!

Neal and I travel a bit, and I have had many pet sitters ask me if I only had one cat because they never saw Boopers. They would say they thought they saw him dash around a corner as they entered the apartment. Only most recently, after Thanksgiving did Boopers stay in the same room with strangers.

My morning and afternoon nap times were very special because both Benny and Boopers would take turns on my lap or even pile on top of each other to sit with me. If I lay down Benny would be on my legs or chest and Boopers prefered being on my arm, curled up at the top or side my head. He would often sit with one paw on my shoulder or both paws just across my chest, lying in the nook under my arm.

The last two days, Dec 24th and 25th, Neal stated to me we had never talked about what we would (I would do) if one pet passed away. I ignored him (didn’t want to think or talk about it). Neal said he heard Benny late at night almost howling or deep moaning. I didn’t hear it because I slept hard.

Monday I knew, I felt the trip to the vet would be hard and final. I had a lick on the fingers by Boopers before he was in his carrier. After dropping Boopers off and returning home, a call from the doctor confirmed Boopers was in very bad shape and needed x-rays. Not an hour later, I was asked to make the choice or prolong his suffering. First time the grief hit hard! As we arrived back at the vet hospital, Boopers was crashing. He had made the choice for me and breathed his last.

I held my sweet kitty in my arms one last time. He looked unbelievably alive, so soft and furry but with no movement. So peaceful with paws up in the blanket. I miss you Boopers!

Thank you Banfield for your care and compassion! I am grateful for every consideration and each medical decision, as well as the workers at our location!

Everyday seems so different in the apartment now! Benny wanders room to room and has decided to stay near me almost constantly. He can’t ask where Boopers is, but he is always meowing to me, sleeping on my lap. Again Neal heard Benny moaning on Monday and Tuesday nights. It took me days to really start this post, and Thursday night I also heard Benny, the different levels of sad moaning and calling. Heart breaking!!!

We can still look for Boopers in posts here: Tails of the Kitty, Tales of the Kitty and by hashtag, “Boopers“

Boopers I love you! You are one with the Universe now.

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