R.I.P. Stella

I'm sad to say that on Sunday, January 22, Stella died of a pulmonary embolism that caused a clot in her hind leg. Her body shut down pretty quickly and we had to make the decision to euthanize her to keep her from further pain as her outlook for recovery was slim. She had been in the care of my brother Darren in North Carolina since August, so all of this took place long distance which made it very, very shitty. I feel so bad not to have said goodbye to her or to have been with her at the end. I mean, I said bye when we left her with Darren, but I always thought I'd see her again. We've had Stella for 9 years and I will miss her. 

 I will miss her fat belly that swings when she walks; how her tongue was too long for her mouth; how damn clumsy she was; how after sitting down for 2 seconds, she would jump up on your lap and nudge your hand to pet her; how she would announce herself when entering a room; how she would sunbathe in the light from the window; how she would stand by the front/back door waiting for a chance to bolt outside, only to freeze if she ever succeeded in getting outside; how she looked like a Russian babushka hat when she sat with her legs tucked in; how she'd always get into things like bags or tissue paper or bubble wrap or laundry baskets or even inside the dryer; how we'd call her "Jaguar Bob" for looking like a hood ornament when she perched centered at the end of the bed; how she would suddenly get hyper and chase her toys around the house, throwing her mice up and always getting them stuck behind the bookshelf ( I found a colony of them when we moved); how she'd kill crickets at night, torturing them by pulling out their legs one by one; how good she was with the kids - never biting them even though they would bite her; how she'd stretch her front paws out when she was in ecstasy lying on your lap; how she'd make those Miss Piggy noises when she'd see a squirrel or bird outside; how she'd let you scratch her belly like a dog.

Stella/Bella/Bob/The Bob/Jaguar Bob, I will miss you. I'm so, so, so sorry I couldn't be there with you for your final moments. I hope you know you were loved even though we weren't physically there. You were our baby before we had our own kids and if we ever get a pet again, I don't think they'll ever make us laugh like you did. You were a dog in a cat's body, unlike any cat I've ever met, so social, tolerant with the kids, and loving. You have left us with many wonderful memories. Ironically, Dean has chosen the black cat stuffed animal we call Stella as his lovey so we will have a constant comforting reminder of you for years to come.

Thank you Jill for matching us up with her. She was a perfect fit and came a long way from hiding under the desk at Asbury.

Thank you Darren and Annie and Jonas for taking such good care of her these past 6 months. I know she had a fun time with you and got lots of attention and love from you guys. Thank you especially for being with her there at the end, Darren. It makes me feel good knowing that she recognized your face and had someone there the last time her eyes were open. It rained today in North Carolina and when Darren and Annie had to tell Jonas why Stella wasn't coming back home, I think he put it nicely when he said "the earth was crying now that Stella was gone."