She's really gone

I didn't want to admit it, but I think Melody Simba is gone for good.  Who is Melody Simba, you ask?  She's my cat.  Missy, Tweaky, Simmy, Pissy Missy, Brat Cat, Miss Meow, MelodyBimbitweeto, Mel Mel, Tweak, SimCat; all nicknames for my beloved cat. 

Melody came into my life on accident.  The year was 1994, I was 19.  I adopted a kitten from one of the rescue orgs that frequent local pet supply retailers on weekends.  Sassy was the kitten I brought home.  She was gray and white and so sweet.  She loved to cuddle and would let anyone hold her.  After a few days, Sassy started having problems breathing.  She was still perky, but just seemed to be having a rough time.  One night, Sassy had stopped eating and her breathing was really labored.  Before I could take her to the vet, she had died in my arms.  I was devastated.  I had only had her a week, but I loved this kitten so much.  I think my parents were even a little surprised by how heartbroken I was for her. 

One of the last sweet things my dad did for me was find an ad in the newspaper that read "Free Kittens" and we all took a trip to this woman's house.  There I saw them.  I think there were 4, all multicolored and 3 were all wound up and crazy.  Then there was this little one.  She looked like a cute little tiger-striped puff ball.  She was it.  I specifically remember my dad asking if I wanted the fatter, more playful boy kitten (my dad was trying to steer me away from another 'sickly' kitten).  Nope, my mind was made up.  I wanted this kitten and her name was to be Melody (I was majoring in Musical Theatre at the time) Simba (it was the year of The Lion King). 

On the way home, it was instant love.  She was there through most of my life.  15yrs I had her.  Through every boyfriend, heartbreak, move (that poor cat has moved more times than most adults!), marriage, and babies. Simmy was there.  She was known to plop on command.  Plop, meaning to flop on the ground and roll around on her back.  She also did sumersaults over my feet when she was in one of her frisky moods.  She was also very intune to my emotions.  If I was sad, she wouldn't leave my side.  Now, she wasn't always the most loveable cat mind you.  There was a reason why we called her Pissy Missy.  She is the only cat I've ever known who had a serious attitude when she wanted to.  In my description of Missy, a person said 'cats tend to take on the personality of their owner'...looking back now, BITCH.  LOL  That's OK, I love my attitude, pissy, bitchy, McDonald's french fry, ben & jerry's, string cheese lovin' cat!!!  She does sound like me. ;)

After the girls and I went to CA this summer to visit the family, she had been acting really weird.  While we were gone, she had gotten out of the house (oh, she has been indoors all of her life) and was gone for about a week.  She had escaped shortly after we built our house and she was missing for a month.  She came back though.  So when she started acting weird, I thought she was just rebelling because she liked the taste of freedom in the wild.  She would meow by the front door and I would let her out.  A few hours later, I would hear her at the door and I would let her in.     Back to her acting goofy.... She started having accidents on the floor.  In the 15yrs that I've had her, she's NEVER had an accident.  Hairballs, yes...but deliberately peeing on the floor, nope.  Well, she started to and it seemed every day i was having to clean up after her.  It was really grating on me.  In an effort to make her happy and to hopefully stop her from ruining our carpet, I would let her out more often and sometimes overnight.  One night though, she never came home. 

It's been over 2 months since I've seen Tweak.  Every night, when I look out the back door, I keep expecting to see her stalking her way across the yard like I've found her before. She had a collar on, but it was the kind that breaks-away if they get caught on something and I found that in the yard after the last time she got out. 

I've been told that when animals get ready to die, they know and instinctively wander away from home.  I'm hoping that's what happened to Sim.  I pray that she's warm, safe, and gets all the french fries, ice-cream and string cheese she wants!!  I love you Simmy and I'll see you again someday, brat cat! MEOW!