Thursday 4 February 2010

Loving and Losing

Why does it take a minute to say hello
and forever to say goodbye


I’ve got very good at saying goodbye. Or so I tell myself. Over the last two years I’ve had dozens of cats and kittens in my life for a few short weeks that have then moved onto their new life.


Each cat comes to me as a blank slate – I’ve no idea if they are going to be boisterous, shy, aggressive or wrapped around my legs constantly. Within a few days they have become a full blown personality and I know I won’t forget them. Within a few weeks they have established themselves somewhere in the pecking order of my household, whether that be at the bottom to be picked on along with my darling Fudge, or fighting with my Oblee for top cat spot. (I’m somewhere in the middle of the pecking order, if you were wondering!)

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Saying goodbye has to be the weirdest emotion I ever go through. With humans when you say goodbye, it is usually a temporary parting as the chances are you are going to see them again. But with cats it is very unlikely that you will ever see them again as the new owners don’t realise you ever were part of their new cat’s life.


It amazes me how strong I can be sometimes. I allow myself a full day, occasionally two, to grieve over the “loss” of one of my lodgers. The full works - heartbroken tears, vowing I’ll never do it again as it isn’t worth it, coming home from work and feeling as if my house is empty despite my three terrors. But then I get the call saying there is a mum with 1 day old kittens or a poor old lad who has been knocked down and needs one to one care and I can’t say no. And the cycle starts again.


But I never forget.

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