It’s the last day of the month and even though I have several recently made things to write about, it’s all kind of paling into insignificance for me right now since we lost our dear Sophie earlier this week…
We’ve had this lovely girl the longest out of all our pets so far; she lived to be nearly 18… oh it’s so easy to fall into a trap of thinking she’s going to be with us forever. I know I certainly did.
I can vividly remember my first sight of her; a friend of Tim’s had a litter of kittens they were giving away, Tim happened to go over for a sleepover and convinced us the next day to go over and check them out. We were NOT in the market for a new kitten, however as soon as we laid eyes on this adorable little grey ball of fluff with huge green eyes she came home with us pretty much straightaway.
Right from the start we were all head over heels for this wonderful sweet lady… she’s always been the sweetest and most good natured and placid of cats imaginable: even tempered, calm, loving, always up for a spot of purring curled up on your lap. We would often joke about how much she loved her food, and was sometimes called (meanly) the Fat Cushion; but actually she was quite a little cat really, she just had lots of fluff. And of course as she got older and slowly started losing condition I would have given anything for her to regain some of that lovely soft plumpness.
She would follow me around the house and just “be” with me while I was doing whatever, often sneakily trying to insert herself onto my lap if I happened to sit on the couch for a bit, and especially if I was sitting out in the sun. Her solid purring presence was always such a joy. I remember after losing Sienna I would often seek out Sophie and cuddle her, and the warm fluffy weight of her was such a huge comfort. We always used to say in the family that cuddling Sophie was an instant tonic to feeling sad because just holding her brought peace.
Some favourite pictures of when Sophie decided to “help” me with my blog:
I’m so sorry, Carolyn. She sounds like a true gem of a cat and companion.
So sorry for your loss. Losing a pet is always so hard! Thank you for sharing the photos, I love seeing her fluffy grey tail!
I am so sorry for the loss of your cat Sophie. It’s painful to feel the absence all the little habits and inside jokes that a furry friend brings to a family’s daily life. How great to have photos like these as a reminder.
Dear Carolyn and family, I am so sorry that you have lost such a lovely friend. What a wonderful companion she must have been. And photogenic! She, too, was lucky to have such a loving family.
I’m sure you gave Sophie a wonderful life. You were lucky to share her life.
I am so sorry for the your family’s loss of lovely Sophie. But thank you for sharing her story and the wonderful photos. I remember when you made those cookies to match your cats. That is a great photo of her. Jean
Sorry for your loss, Carolyn. It’s so hard to lose a pet who’s been a part of your family for so long …
I am so sorry to hear of Sophie’s death. As I love cats as well, I was always happy to see her in your pictures. Thank God for pictures, so you have a visual memory of her as well, as all the memories you recounted above. 18 years is a long time, so you were lucky and with such a sweet cat as well. All the best for the coming time. Anita from Basel
I’m so sorry for your loss. I said goodbye to my cat Fiep yesterday and it has broken my heart. She was seventeen, and quickly deteriorating due to kidney failure. I ‘only’ had her from when she was eight, how wonderful that Sophie was with you for such a long time. She was absolutely gorgeous.
I love the way you look at Sophie in the pictures, you can feel the love you had for her.
What a love! And so photogenic. Take good care of yourself in this grief. Love is love.
Thank you for sharing sweet Sophie with us over the years. My deepest sympathy.
I’m so sorry to hear this sad news. Pets are wonderful and bring so much joy and love xx
I am so sorry that you have lost your darling girl Sophie. It has always been a delight to see her and your other cats appearing here and there in your photos. Thank you for telling us Sophie’s story.
Cats are such wonderful companions and I’m so sad to hear of your loss
Sorry for your loss of dear Sophie. It has been a joy to see her in your posts. We lost 22 year-old Tilly two months ago, but I still wake thinking she will greet me.
Ah sad times. I never knew what losing a pet was like until it happened to me and now I have the most sincere sympathy for others. I remember her in lots of your shots. Jo xxxxxxx
I’m so sorry to hear about your beloved Sophie. I have my own Sophie, an all black, short hair rescue, who will mark 12 years next month. She has been in failing health for the past couple of months, and its been a challenge working with our vet to determine the cause. I’m spending all of my free time giving her extra attention and going beyond to assure she is comfortable. Reading about your loss brought tears to my eyes, as I know one day I will be in your shoes, I just hope its later than sooner. Above all else, we are so fortunate to have these amazing creatures in our lives, and I try not to take that for granted.