Today I Lost My Friend, a poem #poetry #sad #grief #cat #rainbowbridge

2025-09-19

Today we had to say goodbye to our old friend of 13 years. Later, I'll do a tribute to her with all the videos I haven't posted yet. This is dedicated to all who've lost a pet. If you never had to decide your pet's life or death, this next video might be helpful. 

Corene couldn't keep food down Wednesday. We were worried, but sometimes she has a bout. She had been showing signs of senility and missing the cat box more and more.

Thursday, she was still not able to eat and stopped drinking water. By last night, Thursday night, she was lethargic and when she walked, her back legs were stiff. That's how Leyla was at the end. So we planned to go to the vet the next morning. We're insomniacs, so we were late calling, after 1 pm on a Friday.

My poor daughter forgot her purse, so we were halfway to LaFayette before having to turn around and get it.

Corene wasn't happy about the car trip or the heat because our air conditioning doesn't work. But she made it through.

I didn't record the actual shot, but the vet was caring and everyone on the staff of Main Street Veterinary Clinic in LaFayette, Georgia were respectful of Corene, even taking her away after we said goodbye. The poor vet tech was crying in her car when we came out. That's how sensitive and caring this staff were to us, strangers to their clinic! Corene's life touched a lot of people today. We lost our beloved kitty, but all of them lost their patient!

Our vet couldn't see us because she had a surgery scheduled and farm visits after that. She must've felt terrible not to be able to fit us in at Summerville Veterinary Clinic. But the staff there went above and beyond in helping us, even as far as calling around to other clinics until they found one to send us to.

We went to the wrong place at Fayetteville Veterinary Clinic, but even they pointed us in the right direction to Main Street, only 2 miles away. Their staff knew where to send us. They were also kind and caring.

But, I can't say enough to thank all of these 3 veterinary clinics' staff, who respected our wish that we end our Corene's suffering today and not Monday. I might add, their offices were very busy, yet they took time to help us.

We were, frankly, surprised that Corene made it to 13. Her sister passed away at only 9. Torties don't live as long as other-colored cats, and there's still research going on to figure out why.

She began life on a farm. That farmer in Bluffton, GA found a kitten on the side of the road in nearby Alabama while visiting a relative. That kitten never learned how to catch mice, but her daughter did! That feral daughter had the litter that gave us Leyla and Corene, at 5 weeks.

The farmer had a rat explosion, then a cat explosion, so he put a notice up at Cuthbert Critter Care. We decided to adopt 2.

When he brought the twins, he apologized for bringing us the 2 ugliest kittens. We thought they were beautiful! Torties are sweet-natured, quirky, and loving. They snared our hearts from the first moment when we put them in the crate in the back of my car.

We're grateful to have Belle and Fiona to comfort us. They are 5 and hopefully will live a long life with us.

Today I'm changing our DannisPetChannel logo, but Corene's playlist will remain where it is. We'll always remember her for becoming the vocal one when we lost her sister, picking up all our pets' habits good and bad, and stealing our spoons and forks from the dish drainer.