Ode to Piggy

Piggy with a portrait pose. | Allan Steele, EastIdahoSports.com. Note: This might be a difficult story for some. Feel free to post your own pet stories or favorite pet photos in the comments. Let’s celebrate the good and the tough times. It might even make you feel better. Note: As a bonus to our readers who have followed us into Year 2, the East Idaho Sports staff will post a special story on Sundays – Could be a column, opinion, feature, or just something fun and goofy. Hope you enjoy and thanks again for coming along on this journey. IDAHO FALLS – I thought I might cry when I finally sat down to write this. I was right. It’s been a little more than a week since I had to put my cat to sleep. That’s a pleasant phrase. Sounds nice, but she’s not sleeping. She’s gone. That saying about pets crossing the rainbow bridge? Again, it’s a nice image, but that doesn’t make it any easier. The grief is real and at times overwhelming. I’d like to think I’m stoic in tough situations. This is proving otherwise. This is a lingering hurt. Writing is supposed to be cathartic, but I’m not there yet. Maybe once I’m done. Bracing for the cold winter. | Allan Steele, EastIdahoSports.com. When thinking about writing this story I tried to take solace in the fact that anybody that’s ever had a pet, from children bringing home strays, to senior citizens and their furry companions, they’ve all likely dealt with the loss of a pet. Pets are part of the family and the attachment for most people is felt as deeply as any loving relationship. Her name was Piggy. Cute name. About 16 years ago a litter of kittens appeared on my back patio. The mama cat came by a couple of times a day to feed them and I vowed I wouldn’t get involved. That lasted about a week until it was clear the kittens were hungry and restless. I put out some food. It took a couple of days for the kittens to get used to me. The runt of the litter, easily identifiable by her black and white tuxedo markings, turned out to be the bravest. No photos today! | Allan Steele, EastIdahoSports.com. Every time I’d open the door, she was first in line for food and would eventually waddle through the door and into the apartment for some extra treats. Like I said, she was brave. The name Piggy was born. Maybe we had something in common. We were both born runts, but she was always the fearless one. I don’t think I really considered Piggy a pet at first, instead she was just a daily visitor who would come into the apartment if I left the patio door open for her. I’d put down some food and scratch her head and all was good. I’d look forward to seeing her just about every day. Months later she had her own litter of kittens under my bed. It was a wild time, having kittens running around my small apartment and Piggy playing the role of proud mama cat. (But that’s a whole different story that the apartment manager never knew about. And yes, all the kittens were eventually adapted). When I moved to Idaho in 2019, of course I had to bring Piggy with me. I was worried that she would lose her independence. She loved being an outside cat, chasing birds, and running off any stay cats that would occasionally wonder near the patio. But like me, she adjusted to the new life and new surroundings. My parents got Piggy a cat perch one Christmas and it was set up near the window sill overlooking the back yard of the apartment complex. There was plenty of grass and trees to look at, as well as a variety of critters that ran around the canal area just past the chain link fence on the edge of the property. My dad even made a set of stairs for ‘Miss Piggy,’ as he called her. That cat perch at the window turned out to be her favorite spot as she kept an eye on the neighborhood and stretched out for naps in the fresh air and sunshine. Instead of chasing birds and other cats, Piggy just watched, content on being a spectator entertained by the outside world. It was perfect. Evil Piggy. | Allan Steele, EastIdahoSports.com. A few months ago the vet noted Piggy had some issues with her kidneys and her teeth were in bad shape. Both conditions were normal for a senior cat, the vet said. It wasn’t much longer that Piggy started losing weight and didn’t have much energy. Again, likely a sign of old age. She was 16. But as time went on, it was clear something was wrong. We tried different medications, but Piggy would barely eat. She lost half her weight in about three months and I knew that the end was probably approaching and I tried to brace for the inevitable. The vet said it was probably cancer. Piggy had good days and bad days but never gave up. The day we were scheduled to make the final trip to the vet, I laid down beside her and scratched her head like I did when she was a kitten. She purred. I think she knew. It’s a bitter-sweet memory that I’ll cherish forever. And yes, I’m crying again as I write that. I tell myself that it’s all for the best because she’s not suffering and she had a good life. But I still miss seeing her face every morning, giving me a look like she’s reminding me it’s time for breakfast. I miss coming home and seeing her sitting on her perch at the window. Piggy on her favorite perch. | Allan Steele, EastIdahoSports.com. I picked out a nice box for her ashes and should be getting that soon. I’m going to put it on her perch. Every time I walk by or open the window, I’ll try to think of all the precious memories and the love and the joy one special cat can bring. I’m not sure if writing this was truly cathartic, but I do feel a little better. Pouring my heart out to strangers on the internet who may just happen to click on a link is a little uneasy. But, I believe most everyone can relate to this story and have experienced something similar. The loss is real and the love between a pet and its human is indeed special. Rest in peace Piggy. Piggy’s favorite perch. | Allan Steele, EastIdahoSports.com. The post Ode to Piggy appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com