Condolances for my MIL please...

I once mentioned here that my mother in law had been taking care of an outdoor stray for many years. Mom had taken her to the vet a couple of months ago and the vet said that Polly was 17-18 years old. We were all amazed that an outdoor cat lived to such a ripe old age! Over the years, Polly grew to trust mom as mom fed and cared for her and let her come and go as she pleased. Mom even always kept the kitchen window open year round so that Polly could come in when she wanted shelter or food. Mom was the only person that Polly would let near her (aside from me after several years).

Well, Polly finally passed away early this morning of old age. Hubby just yesterday had a conversation with mom about perhaps having Polly put to sleep because she had become so old, weak and frail/thin that she could barely get up. The vet agreed and I guess Polly knew it was time too.

We're going to give mom a few weeks to mourn and then take her to the shelter and adopt a couple of kittens for her to have. She just loves animals so much and has lost all 3 of her long term pets in the past year and a half. And now she's alone in the house. I think it's a good idea.

Sleep peacfully Polly, you had a long and full life. Thanks for the joy you gave to mom. You've earned your rest. :m10: Love ya

 

RIP Polly.
Deepest sympathies to your mother in law (and to all your family). She obviously had a significant effect on Polly's life.

 

I'm sorry about Polly's passing. It's never easy to lose one of our fur animals. I hope your mom will be open to getting another cat(s) when she is ready.

 

Thanks DeLaUK and Chessmind. She's never been without a fur buddy before. She's the type that will wig out if you so much as step on a grasshopper. She loves all creatures and has never been without a pet before. I worry about her being alone all of a sudden and know she would love any new addition she would get with all her heart. But we won't force any on her, it'll be her decision. But I will encourage it.

 

Your mother in law sounds like a wonderful person, her possible future kittens will be lucky to have her adopt them. My condolances to her and the rest of your family Rest in peace Polly.

 

Bente, she really is a wonderful and amazing person. I could tell you so many funny stories about her and animals but I'll limit myself to one...

One time we found out that there was a opossum family living under her house. I don't know if you know what a opossum is but picture a rat the size of a grown house cat. They're rodents. She refused to let any of us get rid of them. Then I woke one morning to her in the backyard...she had opened the door that we had access to under the house and heard her softly calling "MR OPOSSUM! MR OPOSSUM!". I peeked out the window and she was tossing doggie kibble under the house to feed them LOL

I just can't imagine her living without a pet.

 

Awwe Cassie that's a sweet story. I'm sorry to hear about Polly it does sound like she had a wonderful life thanks to your Mom and any animal would be lucky to find itself cared for by her.

BTW I had a possum get in MY HOUSE! It was coming up the washer drain hose and eating dog food and then leaving. I thought Zoey was getting up in the night and eating the dogfood but she WAS getting up in the night but just tracking the possum that was eating her food! (That was before Brie...no food is ever left behind now.) I certainly wasn't calling "Mr.Opossum"--that's for sure! Darn weenie dog just chased it into the bathroom closet (finally) and barked at it. My Mom had to come over and shoo it into a laundry basket and we released it in the back yard and watched it go right back under the house.

 

Your opposum story made me smile, I had never seen an opposum in UK...I dont think they have them there but my daughter was at a soccer game one day and found one (in California), just a baby, it had a 'luxated' jaw, I had no idea what to do with it, Id raised puppies, kittens, small wildlife like birds and squirels but not a possum, I fed it Pedialyte through a straw (not good apparantly) and then took it to my boss (the vet) it ended up being adopted by Actors And Others For Animals and lived a safe and happy life, they are so cool.

From what you say, Im sure your mom-in-law will have more furry friends around her when the time is right, I had to put my dog Charlie to sleep a few years back, I had another one at the time called Bonnie, I decided that no way was I going to have another dog, at least not for a couple of years, 2 months later a client brought a dog in to the hospital after he found it in the street, he had been hit by a car......I still have no idea how I ended up being the one that took him home. It wasnt planned!!!!!

 

I gotta add this personal opossum story (that's the correct spelling but it's pronounced 'possum' and they are ferel critters). One time I was living in a trailor in Alabama and I kept my towels in draws next to the sink in the bathroom. Well, I had finished brushing my teeth and washing my face and with eyes closed pulled the drawer open and reached for a towel and grabbed a hand full of Opossum!!!!

I realised immediately that I wasn't feeling towel and slammed the drawer shut. I shot out of the bathroom and told my ex that there was a opossum in the towel draw and he didn't believe me...

Well after him checking it out, he finally saw that I was right and it turned out that the poor thing was nesting in our towel draw...she was giving birth (which is why she was so docile when I accidently grabbed her).

Well, he got this elaborate scheme to kill her...he got his uncle to try and nab/grab her out with a wire...all the time they stayed about ten feet away LOL

Then my ex decided to just pull the drawer open and shoot her. He did pull the drawer open and manage to shoot through the wall and nail our refridgerator and kill it LOL He killed the fridge, not the opossum ROFL

The opossum took off in the mean time and got away

 

:lol: :lol: ROFL...I can just picture the fridge being 'killed'.

When I contacted Actors and others to take the possum I had, the woman (an absolute saint in my opinion) asked me if it was vicious, I said it had 'snarled' at me a couple of times, she said that was a good sign :shock: (me being used to cats hissing at me and dogs snarling....its usually not a good sign) she then explained that the vicious ones dont give any warning they just bite, when they snarl its called 'crocodile teeth' they apparantly do this as a defense mechanism to 'warn' you off but'usually' dont bite as they are not the brave ones!!!!! I didnt test her theory

 

I love happy endings :mrgreen:

 

*Hugs* to you and your mom-in-law. May Polly rest in peace. Do you have any pics of Polly to share? I'm glad the opossom got away as well. I wonder what they look like? :0011:

 

No, I don't have any pics of Polly but she was soft, fluffy long hair smokey dark gray colored with green eyes. And very afraid of people

 

She sounds like a cutie! I love grey cats with green eyes. Ginger was afraid of people just like her. I bet the 2 of them are roaming together at the rainbow bridge.

 

Hehehe Cassie! That is so funny that your ex shot the refrigerator...only in Alabama LOL!

The possum that got in my house snarled/hissed at us too. BTW it had a lovely coat after eating that puppy food all that time. I kept finding smutty looking stuff on the floor around the washer, but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from.

Vene, you've never seen an opossum?

 

vene....heres a link.

http://www.opossumsocietyus.org/opossum_photo_page.htm

 

:lol: I knew you'd find a link! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

:lol: What can I say....I have no life :lol:

 

They look cute I don't think we have them here in Norway either...

 

Thanks DeLaUK. The opossums look so adorable! :mrgreen: