With any emotional event, there are synchronicities and when that event involves death, they tend to be powerful and in your face.
Anyone who has pets knows that that animals have their own agendas. They can be teachers, creative inspiration, spiritual messengers, companions who love us unconditionally, or all of the above. They can be of any species, can drop into – or out of – our lives at any time. Their agenda usually isn’t something we can divine. That’s how it was with our daughter, Megan, and her cat, Piper.
One June afternoon two years ago, Megan’s friend Denise brought over the cutest gray puff of a kitten with these wise eyes and an energy you could feel in your heart. She was the runt of a litter Denise had rescued. Megan had been thinking she would love to have a cat and here she was. You might say it was love at first sight.
Piper’s first friend was Nika, Megan’s dog.
They preened each other, played, chased each other around the house. When Megan visited us on weekends, with both Piper and Nika, Piper won over Noah and Nigel, both of them large Golden Retrievers. The dogs preened her, loved on her, and she ate it up. When Megan began watching dogs in her home, Piper accommodated them. She stood up to the bullies and stared down the little yappers until they skulked away, probably ashamed of themselves. When she spent time here with us, she explored our backyard, chased lizards, climbed trees, did all those cat things but with a certain grace and finesse.
She enjoyed humans. She slept with Megan – and us when she visited – curled up under the covers, purring, content. She often sat on my desk at night watching the frogs that suddenly glommed to my office window to catch insects. She sometimes just sat on my desk watching me. She really wanted to be friends with our older male cat, Simba. He’s a cranky old guy who sometimes tolerated her and sometimes didn’t, but seemed to enjoy her visits nonetheless.
On October 28, Megan returned home from a movie with Denise and they found Piper dead on the living room floor. Megan, hysterical, thought one of the dogs she was watching had killed her. But a veterinarian who arrived shortly afterward to pick up her dog, saw that Megan was distraught and examined Piper. She said there were no bite marks, that it was likely Piper died of a heart attack, that her heart was congenitally weak in some way.
Now here’re the strange synchros. Denise, who had given Piper to Megan, was with her when she got back from the movie. Denise actually spotted Piper’s body first and stayed with Megan for a long time in the aftermath. The next day, October 29, National Cat Day, Megan buries Piper and Denise called her, hysterical because she’d found the cat she’d rescued dead on her porch. The cat had been hit by a driver who had left her a note of apology and placed her cat on the porch. Megan went over to Denise’s to comfort and console her and to bury her cat. While she was doing that, she found out that another friend had to put down his cat. On National Cat Day.
“She’s teaching me that death isn’t the end,” says Megan.
And sure enough, she saw Piper the night she passed, a fleeting movement in her peripheral vision.
After Megan buried Piper in her backyard, Nika came to say her good-byes.
Animals mourn, just as we do. But they have an advantage, I think, in that they sense their buddies are still with them.
My heart is with Megan and Nika. It’s a terrible shock when a beloved pet dies suddenly, especially one so young. Time and tears will ease the heartache. Rest assured that Piper is and always will be a part of your soul. Hugs to you Megan.
Thank you, Susan! They’re coming home this weekend, so I’ll pass this on.
My heart seems to bleed a little and shed tears here. I’m so attuned to the sense of loss experienced when we lose the physical presence of our non-human companions. I am so, so sorry for their loss and grieve with them. My Storm…..my Storm…..a rare blackchocolate purebred Lab is with me 24/7. She came to me when she was four months old, and I knew she was coming and knew I was to give her the name Storm.
I think I’ve mentioned here that when she came, I took her beautiful, velvet face between my hands and held her head, looking into her eyes. HER eyes never left mine as I told her she could NOT, under any circumstances, leave before me. That I must be allowed to go first and will wait for her on The Other Side. She understood. I know she understood. It may be a sin, but I love my canine soulmate as much as I love my family. The love is just DIFFERENT. Not less, just different. If that is a sin, then I am guilty. I cannot even begin to imagine my life without her and won’t contemplate it.
It’s my conviction that our animal friends join us to teach us many things, not the least of which is unconditional love. We are owned by a feline Tuxedo male whose face is a clone of Charlie Chaplin. His name is Thoth but we call him Kitty-Kitty. He seems to like it. He’s geriatric, quite elderly. He’s trained us well, and is an indoor-outdoor gentleman who comes and goes at will. He no longer has the energy to be a mouser or to chase the lizards, birds, and other critters inhabiting our backyard. He just sits quietly on a high perch of his choice outside and watches them. I dread the time that may not be far away and won’t go there with my thoughts. Again, I extend deepest empathy to our friends on the blog who are grieving.
Thanks to all of you. I’ll make sure Megan sees this.
I’m so sorry for the loss of Megan’s sweet kitty. She was so young.
It is so hard to lose a beloved pet. Our lab, Lucy, lives with my daughter and her husband on five acres, complete with ponds, creeks, and lots of downed fruit for snacking in the fall. However, she is now over 13 years old and starting to have problems. My daughter called and said she accidently peed on her new bed, losing bladder control is new. I am grateful we have such a pretty place for her to spend her last, but even though I know it’s coming, I hate the thought of losing her.
Weird – my niece and I found her dog prone on their lawn last month. I thought he was napping under a tree. He was gone – same thing as Piper – we don’t know why. The other dog that was in the yard is fine. Heart trouble was our thought.
So so sad. I still love and miss all my cats from long ago.
That is a very sad synchro. I’m sorry for the loss of these cats, on any day, but especially on their own special day. Sending you some virtual hugs.
Sorry to hear about Piper. Very “circle of life” kind of synchronicity that the friend who brought Megan the cat was with her at the end, though – and it’s good that Megan had a friend to help her through it.
I have a soft spot for cats. Animals in general have a way of living in the moment that we humans just can’t achieve, no matter how hard we try. They don’t worry about the future, they don’t dwell on the past, they just “be”.
Be well, Piper, wherever you are.