Saturday, March 03, 2007

Goodbye, Grayer

I’ve never been a ‘cat blogger’. I am a cat-lover, and my cell phone camera boasts mostly pictures of my godson and my cats, Grayer and Ella, but I don’t usually blog about them. I have to make an exception though.

I can’t share it all as eloquently as John did when his rabbit Inlehain died, but when I came home after being out for the evening on Thursday, I found that my cat Grayer had died. He was only about three years old, young for a cat, and hadn’t shown any signs of being ill, so I have no idea what happened. Quite a shock.

Grayer was named after the little boy in the book The Nanny Diaries. I didn’t like the book. I didn’t like the name Grayer when I started reading it. But the name grew on me. I would never name a human that, but the name grew on me and I gave it to my cat!

Grayer was a good cat. A sweetheart cat. I love both my cats, but Ella is definitely the naughty climb-the-Christmas-tree cat and Grayer is the "pet me, I love you!" cat. I got Grayer shortly after I started here at St. Paul's. I saw an ad for free kittens in the paper and called the number. I wanted a female cat, but only males were left. I said OK anyway. The woman came with Grayer, six weeks old, and was carrying him tucked inside her jacket. It was love at first sight - he was so darn cute.

Right away he got in the habit of napping, laying on my arm while I was working on my laptop. This worked out well when he was two pounds. Less so when he got so big that I would constantly have to make him switch arms to ward off the numbness. But it was still his habit, his favorite place to be.

Grayer didn't take well to Ella's appearance on the scene. I actually got Ella so that Grayer would have company. He always seemed so lonesome when I was out of the house. When I brought Ella home, he spent the first couple months trying to kill/eat/maim her. Somehow, eventually, after a long time, they became friends. I even caught them snuggling occasionally. Now Ella is wandering around the house quite lost, looking for her friend, the leader.

He will be very missed.

(Images: Grayer as a kitten. Grayer and Ella. Grown-up Grayer, lover of all things canvas.)

13 comments:

TN Rambler said...

Beth,
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your pet.
Wayne

Theresa Coleman said...

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. You will be in my thoughts and prayers today. Losing a pet is a hard hard thing.

net said...

((((Beth))))

So sorry about Grayer. I will be lifting you up in prayer.

Rev Paul Martin said...

Beth, I am sorry to read of your loss of Grayer. Losing a loved pet is a horrible experience.

You are in my prayers,

Paul

Vicki said...

My sympathies, Beth. Losing a pet is never easy. I'm sure Ella will miss him, too. You're in my prayers.

Melissa said...

:-(

Sorry to hear about Grayer; you and Ella are in my prayers.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing about Grayer. I am sorry for your loss. It's amazing how these little creatures can get into our hearts. It really hurts when we lose them. Theologically correct or not, I do believe our pets go to heaven.

Bill Abplanalp
Colorado

Matt Akins said...

I am sorry for your loss. I have three cats myself, and would be pretty much inconsolable if I lost one of them.

DogBlogger said...

So sorry, Beth. You and Ella will be in my prayers today.

Jody Leavell said...

Because I have lost such a furry friend I know how surprisingly deep the hurt can go. I'll pray courage for you to grieve fully, and God's grace to be at peace with what cannot be changed. As always such moments humble me when I only wish I could do more.

Tonight I will remember my old buddy Gus, the meanest, grumbling, bully of cat who worked his way into my heart and left me so empty one day. And I will think of you and your Grayer.

RevRichelle said...

Beth, I too am sorry to hear about your Grayer. I imagined myself coming home like you did and finding Sadie or Smokey like that and I don't know what I would have done. I am sorry and please know that you are in my prayers.

Unknown said...

Goodbye Grayer, your mommy will miss you. May your trip over Rainbow range be a safe one, and you get to be with all my furbabies over the bridge.

We are praying for your mommy as she grieves you.

Anonymous said...

Oh man, we totally named our son Grayer.

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