We put Thyme to sleep yesterday.
I brought her to the vet in the morning because she’d lost weight and didn’t seem to want to move around or eat much this weekend. She tested positive for feline leukemia and had such low iron that she would’ve needed a blood transfusion to make it more than a few days. Apparently there is still a chance of getting feline leukemia if vaccinated or of having it as a baby and having the blood test come back negative.
L and Thyme were attached at the hip. Thyme was quirky in the most child-friendly sort of way. She followed kids around like they were the Pied Piper and rarely protested the rough love she received fairly frequently.
Thyme came to L when he called her. Thyme sought L out when she heard him crying. Thyme loved to curl up next to L in his bed at night.
Thyme loved to follow us and be near us wherever we were outside. When living at the base of Mount Philo, she would go on miles-long walks with us in the forest, coming closer whenever we called and trotting along side us right back to our doorstep. I’ve never had a cat that comes so consistently when I called.
Today was surreal and sad, but also grounded and full of processing. I appreciated how much more manageable it felt to process the loss of a loved pet, compared to a loved parent.
I texted L’s teacher so I knew I could use the empty classroom at pick up time to break the news and understand how he wanted to proceed in a quiet private place. Evan wrote a heartfelt piece they shared with us. All three of us cried. L held Thyme, purring in his arms, for about 15 minutes before the vet came in. Thyme got her shot after settling down on the sheepskin she loved so dearly. We took her home in a box and L visited her and petted her throughout the evening. We put her in the freezer before bedtime.
Bizarre and very real. A tangible understandable and fairly pain-free death process that we chose to witness and participate in…something that is not often a choice with sudden loss and unanticipated grief.
We’ll miss you Thyme! ❤️
Growing Stories 