Farewell to Papuś

Out cat died today. Papuś was 18. She came to our house as a kitten, born on Wujek Janusz's działka in Żabieniec is 2002. When she arrived, she'd been outside in an early frost (having run away during a previous attempt to scoop her up and bring us over to us. The morning after her arrival, I found a small, furry triangle on the kitchen floor. On closer examination, there was blood coming from one edge. It was the tip of her right ear; frostbitten, it had fallen off.

She was always a bit wild; not trusting humans fully until her old age, when she'd miaow whenever she wanted to be stroked, scratched or have her fur combed. Before that it was just  'miaow' = "I want feeding" or 'miaow' = "I want to be let out".

Below: 2007; overfed by Pani Zosia, Papuś was quite chubby as a five-year-old cat. But this was a happy time for her, the only pet in the house, if chased around a bit by Eddie.

Below: fat cat, Easter 2013.

Things took a turn for the worse for Papuś when a new cat arrived in 2013 - Lila the stray from Łódź. Matters got worse when Lila got pregnant and gave birth to four kittens. One died, two were given away, but Lila's firstborn kitten, Czester, ended up staying. A beloved cat, Czester was everyone's favourite. Papuś was relegated to a supporting role. Sadly, Lila died of feline immunodeficiency disease in 2015; shortly after Czester was run over by a speeding car on ulica Karczunkowska. That left Papuś once again as the only cat in the house.

Her last few years were probably her happiest; the human children grown up and left home, no feline rivals. Fed properly, her weight returned to normal.

Towards the end, she'd go out less often, just a couple of times this summer did she miaow that she wanted to be let outdoors. Cats age better than humans. Even at the age of 15, she could still take a running leap and make it up to the kitchen window, sitting patiently on the ledge waiting for a late-night human to let her into the house. 

Sleep would occupy most of her day in her old age, but she would also spent time wistfully gazing out of  the window looking at the garden or the drive. What was she thinking? Memories of younger days? Or still scouting for shrews and other rodents that she was once adept at catching? These were the last photos I took of her alive, 10 May 2020.

Looking at me. "What's male human pointing that black thing in front of his face at me?"

This morning, I brushed her fur; shortly after a massive storm brewed up. Thunder, lightning and heavy rain. Papuś left her usual spot on the lounge and took refuge in her basket under the stairs. Two hours later, she was still - dead - bereft of the life that had been in this feline body for 18 years.

I buried her in the far end of the garden, besides Lila. As I did so, I was singing Lonesome Valley by the Fairfield Four, from the grave-digging scene in O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

Where are their souls now? All in God, God in All.

This time last year:

Classic cars, Ealing

This time two years ago
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics reviewed

This time three years ago:
Now it belongs to the ages - on Great Works of Art

This time four years ago:
More Brictorian Liverpool

This time five years ago:
Łódź - city of tenements
[Gosh! five years since I bought a flat there!]

This time six years ago:
Liverpool reborn

This time seven years ago:
What goes round comes around: retro is cool - again.

This time eights years ago:
Warsaw's southern bypass by this time next year?

This time nine years ago:
Stand Easy! - a short story

This time 12 years ago:
God Save The Queen - I mean it, Ma'am