Remembering Butterfly 🦋 (2006 - Dec 20, 2020)

 

Tessie:  This is a very sad post for all of us, but for Peekaboo it has been the hardest.  

Peekaboo:  Mom had to make the decision in December that Butterfly was not well at all, would never get well, and was in pain, so she helped Butterfly gently cross over to the Bridge.  She had lost weight and she didn’t complain, but seemed in pain so Mom took her to the vet.  Mom thought it might be kidney issues and thought a new diet and some meds would help her.  

Tessie:  When I went to pick up Butterfly from the vet and bring her home, I had no inkling of the news I’d hear and the heart wrenching decision I would have to make — the vet said Butterfly was terribly ill.  She had tumors all over her body and had abdominal peritonitis.  The vet said she was in much pain and to let her go would be the best for her.  How could this be?  A few months before another vet had done blood work and she was fine except for a bit of the kidney levels were off but that was it.  I was stunned.

Peekaboo:  I looked for Butterfly that morning but didn’t find her.  Where did she hide?  That naughty girl, I bet she escaped from the bedroom and ... and then Mom entered the bedroom.  When I saw Mom crying, I knew I’d never see my big sisfur again.  I tried to hide but Mom picked me up and told me Butterfly’s story.

Tessie:  Originally, Butterfly was an outdoor cat, we don’t think she had a home but she would come to eat with the neighborhood crew who didn’t seem to have homes.  Feeding outdoor cats was a tradition started by my Dad.  And so, in that tradition, Butterfly was part of the crowd who came every night for dinner. She had a  very “defined” purrsonality.  

Peekaboo:  That’s my type of cat!  Butterfly was smallish and round but da way she meowed at the outdoor crew, you’d think she never had a meal in her life!  Mom thought she was crazy but what did she know?  Butterfly made sure none of the boy cats touched her and let them know she meant business.  None of them would try to be friends with her.  She would strut up to our front door swatting anyone that came close (including Mom)!  Even while eating her food she’d be making warning noises which Mom found very funny.

Time passed and one day, Butterfly stopped coming by.  Mom even thought she had crossed over to the Bridge.  Then one Saturday morning, when Mom went to feed the crew, she couldn’t believe her eyes!  Butterfly in the flesh meowing at Mom from across the street.  Mom crossed over to her, poor Butterfly had lost about half her weight.  Butterfly 🦋 even let herself be picked up without a fight and Mom brought her in and from that day, Butterfly never went out again, never even tried to get out of the house (except when Mom took her to the vet).  

Tessie:  After Butterfly’s return, the vet examined her and, except for a bit of dehydration, the vet said she was in pretty good shape.  She became Queen Butterfly and oh! How I loved to hug her when I returned home from work.  Wasn’t easy though.

Peekaboo:  I love this part ... Mom doesn’t have to beg kissies and cuddles from me!  Even though Butterfly 🦋 was happy to be inside, it didn’t make it that Mom could kiss and cuddle her.  Oh, no...she’d let herself be picked up and Mom had 5 seconds to give her kisses, put her down and get her hand out of the way or else be swatted by Butterfly.  As the years passed, Butterfly 🦋 expected those kisses and would let Mom kiss her for 1/2 minute or else be swatted.  It was their ritual.  Ha-ha!! That naughty girl!

Tessie:  Thanks to Peekaboo, Butterfly slowly mellowed and every night while I was watching TV, she’d jump on top of me and settle for quality time (always with an eye out for Collette to swat her).  

Peekaboo:  In 2018, I showed up but I don’t remember exactly how I got here.  I was a kitten so my memory is hazy..  Had my share of troubles.  The bones in my tail were fractured and my tail had to be amputated. Mom took me in hoping I’d keep Butterfly company.  After taking it easy and living inside a pet enclosure for a few weeks, Butterfly made it known that we could live together but in separate sides of the bedroom.  Yeah, right.  A sweet and gregarious kitty like me was not going to be kept apart from her big sisfur  

So little by little, I kept Butterfly entertained.  I reminded her how to chase without it being a feline war.  Eventually we would sit close together, and kept each other company.  

Tessie:   The first week after Butterfly left us, Peekaboo missed Butterfly a lot.  I work from home and have made my office on one side of the house and Collette goes to work every day with me.  I’ve been bringing Peekaboo to work with us and I think she’s feeling better.

Peekaboo:  Mom didn’t want me to be myself those few weeks after Butterfly left us, so I went to work with them too.  I like to be part of the work group.  My job is office manager and it means I sleep a lot; Collette is Mom’s assistant which means eating and sleeping a lot.  Mom even tells us we work hard for the money.

Butterfly is back with us in a beautiful box.  We miss her:  one beautiful kitty who left us with sweet memories and will never ever be forgotten.  Our well loved BUTTERFLY.