Goodbye Little Scotty, Goodbye

Today we lost Scotty. She was one of two sisters whose life started on a goat dairy farm in McConnellsburg PA. We rescued her and her sis from an almost certain death, because they insisted on playing in the road. She was originally named Scotland after my hometown and her sister was named Mobile after Steves hometown. They became Scotty and Moby or S & M After a short life in Dupont Circle, DC, we moved them both to Harpers Ferry. Now they were country girls again!!! It wasn't until several years after we moved here that S & M got renamed Bette and Joan. This was after Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Two old bitches that hated each other. Bette and Joan (the cats) started fighting like all sisters do as they got older, so it was perfect. Besides, cats DO NOT answer to ANY name. Out of respect for Scotty, I'll refer to her by her first name. Two happy little girlie's they were, running up and down the stairs....Pillows in all the windows.....living the life they were, until they both decided to start peeing all over the house. This was partly our fault because we hadn't had them spade and they kept going into heat. Apparently the "itch" becomes so strong they mark as much as possible to get it "scratched"!! Well we got that taken care of and the problem was solved. Eventually we took on Blaze (canine) and then Zander and Marquis, and then Venus and Aphy (all felines) and then Dash (canine). Scotty was fine through all this. In fact, she's the one who taught Blaze to respect a cats presence. (This pic has Scotty in the rear, Marquis on the left and Aphy on the right)

She liked being alone and the older she got the more she demanded HER Space, but she was always quick to take her spot on the bed.

She became the cat who did NOT like to be held, but demanded to be petted, and then somewhere in the middle of all the animal chaos she started peeing in the house again. First it was the bathroom sink, then the shower mat, then the cats beds, then on pillows and finally in chairs. We went from 1 litter box to THREE litter boxes and still no difference. For almost 3 years we washed and tossed and cleaned urine stained items and surfaces, until the day she jumped into the chair beside me and sprayed. That night Scotty became an outdoor cat. I remember how she sat outside the first night meowing so loud and for so long she lost her voice. By the following morning it was a crackle. I stuck to my guns though, made her places to sleep and kept her self feeder full. This constant supply of food also attracted 9 strays.

She would never be allowed back in the house.

She befriended a couple strays that seemed to want to stick around but for the most part she stayed to herself outside as well. Quickly taking up residence under the deck up in the back yard she even earned the nickname Grendel.

It was crazy sometimes having six cats inside, and after Scotty was put out we started to think the rest of them might like some freedom as well, so we installed the cat doors. Scotty of course never learned to use them, so she remained an outside cat even though the others could come and go.

(Scotty again is in the far back left of the pic)

Through all the new puppies and new kittens, she always maintained her distance. Almost like a bitter aunt who thinks children should be seen and not heard, and if they COULD be invisible that would be even better.

(Scotty and Venus)

She really was a sweet little girlie even with her sometimes abrasive disposition. When she and Joan returned home from being spayed.... they each weighed a whopping 3.5lbs. Friends thought they were malnourished. They always stayed small girls after that....well short... not really small. Eventually I started referring to them as the fat little farm girls!!

(Scotty)

Last week we lost Aphy. She Jumped in front of a car. A few days later, someone placed a flyer on our front door. "Male Tabby found near Shenandoah and High Streets".

Well the picture was Scotty, but she's not a he......moral dilemma.... hmmm.... do i call??? I called. Sure enough, she had been "rescued" by a NPS employee who thought she was lost. She was just craving some lovin. I went and retrieved her and returned her to our patio. Three more days passed...... Yesterday I just happened to be out front of the house when I see Animal Control pull up.

I stopped her to see what she was looking for... (bad feeling in my stomach). She had received a call about an injured cat down by St Peters Church. We walked down there together and sure enough it was Scotty. Something had taken a pretty big chunk of her neck and left her bleeding and infected. She was so tired and so weak, she didn't even Meow when she saw us.

I scooped her up and carried her home. Had the animal warden found her without my intervening, they would have put her down that afternoon.

How is it OK to make a conscious decision to kill an animal? I cleaned her up, treated her wound and placed her overnight in an outside kennel equipped with litter, food and water and dry warm bedding. We even gave her chicken which she refused to eat.

This morning I bought her a ticket to Rainbows Bridge.

I am so over this year. I've held two of my babies in my arms as they took their last breath and held one of them while the life was still warm inside her.

That conscious decision I asked about earlier???.....well it was made for us. Scotty made it clear to us that she couldn't be an inside cat.

Nature made it impossible for her to survive as an outdoor cat.

Part of the responsibility of being a pet owner is knowing when and having the strength to make the hard choices. I made a hard one today...... again.

I need a break.

Just in case you were thinking about adopting that cute little kitten or that adorable little puppy........ be ready for this. Death is NOT PRETTY. Some scenes can remain etched in your mind forever and contrary to what everyone tells you..... they don't always go peacefully while asleep. Sometimes they stiffen up like they're fighting it and this my friend WILL cause you to wonder if you made the right choice.

I brought Scotty home and buried her in the yard alongside of Loba and opposite her little step sister Aphy. As I placed the marker on her grave and stood to say goodbye, the church bell started to toll. Not a strange coincidence, because it was noon, it was just fitting that she be given some sort of salute. She was a good little girl and I'll miss her. Travel well Scotty Girl.

Say Hello to Blaze and Aphy for us!!