A Sad Farewell

Nike (left) and Diva, October 2007

Diva, June 2007

We lost a member of our family today, our cat Diva passed on this morning after a rapid decline in health. After we had been home about a week we realized that she had lost a great amount of weight, and was not eating. A trip to the vet did not reveal much, and after a few days of frustration we went to the vet again, and for a couple of days, it looked like she might be holding her own. Finally one of the vets at the clinic was able to feel a mass in her abdomen, possibly a tumor. This morning, before we had fully decided what to do, we got the news that she had weakened and passed on.

Diva came into our lives the last spring (1999) we lived in Illinois, appearing at our house one morning. Friendly and eager for attention, we brought her with us when we moved to Iowa. She proved herself to be housebroken, and well trained by whoever had been her previous family. We estimated her to be about a year old when she came to us as she did grow some more, although she was never a very large cat. She was a great companion for Kim during the several months when I was finishing up farming obligations in Illinois, and when I was making numerous trips moving our goods to Iowa.

Shy around strangers, she was warm and affectionate to those she liked. In the times when she was allowed to sleep in our bedroom, she could tell when bedtime was approaching, and would grab a few bites of cat food, get a drink of water, visit the litter box, and be waiting for us on the stairs. Quite a good bit of planning for "just a cat".

In a way, she was our first "baby", gave us unconditional love, and seemed to know when we were sick or down and needed some extra affection. Playful and fun, she learned several "tricks" over the years. In the later years, she took some abuse from Nike, our younger cat, but she got back at him by attacking him in the middle of the night when he was asleep!

We will miss her, and think of her often as the days become weeks and then months. She brought us joy and amusement as well as unconditional acceptance. We hope that her spirit now dwells in a kind and gentle place.

The Rainbow Bridge