Strangely enough my biggest disappointment was yesterday....
Hi all, long time lurker, first time QOTW poster. All aboard for a rollercoaster ride of crushing disappointment. It’s a big’un.

My most recent (and possibly biggest) disappointment happened yesterday, as the title somewhat suggests.

Our beloved cat, Ernie, has been missing for a while. He's one of the coolest cats around, shimmering white and ginger in colour, has been repeatedly described by many as a "champagne" hue. A big hulking fluffeh awesome chap he was. Lazy like you wouldn’t believe, ate like a sumo-wrestler with a food fetish and would beat down a door to sit on your chest.

He'd been part of the family for 8 years and we rescued him from a stray cat center when he was only about one year old, brought him home along with his cell mate, Eric. He was so scared he didn’t come out of the basket for two days. We lost Eric inside of the first year due to “feline AIDS”….. yep it exists.

Anyways, he went missing about 4 weeks ago, very unlike him, he had the grace of a drunken rhino and normally struggled to get up a fence, let alone walk along one, so consequently he never often left the back garden. However, it was a balmy day down on the Sussex Riviera and he'd been lying about in the garden for hours - as fat cats do.

"He'll be back when he’s hungry" we told ourselves.

"He'll be back when it’s dark" we told ourselves later

"He'll be back in the morning" we told ourselves that evening

"I hope he comes back....." we said later that week.

We did the usual, made posters, walked around the neighborhood calling "ERNIE" while waving tins of tuna about like all sane people do.

The days went by and there was no body, no-one came to us. But he wasn’t flat at the side of any of the roads nearby... there was hope.

About 2 weeks later we had a knock on our door from a neighbor at the other end of our road "Have you found your cat?" qouth they. "Ney" we replied. "Then come quickly, I think he’s down near our house" we ran like the wind down to the end of the road. We could see a cat sitting in the distance. He was white! He was ginger!! He was Ernie!!!....... About 5 years ago.

Strange how it happens but this cat was his exact double, except a bit thinner and a lot smaller, couldn’t have been more than 2 years old, we had never seen it before and now he's there every day, mocking us in Ernie-like imitation. "Bugger" is about the correct word for that situation.
All was quiet on the feline-front for another two weeks.

Then yesterday, what do we hear but a knock on the door, we open it and it’s the lady from a few doors down, again he hear those Ill fated words “Have you found your cat yet?” To which we answer in the negative.

This time however, she mentions that the people who live in the road over from her, whose gardens backs on to hers, have found a cat in their garden and passed her a poster over then fence, which she then produced before us along with one of our posters like a shining ray of hope.

“Cat Lost” coupled with “Cat Found” a match made in heaven. There was a picture on it.

White, check
Ginger, check
Hulking Fluffeh Fatness, check.

It was HIM!! No doubt about it, our hearts leapt. Excitement building, we read the poster over and over and there was one line that jumped out at us.

“He is a little poorly so has been taken to the *local vet* as of Friday” Our neighbor commented on this and said that apparently he had been going back and forth to the poster-producers house over the last few days so couldn’t have been that bad.

It’s true, he’ll be fine. Vets are miracle workers, they’ll give him some food and a cool cat-bandage and he’ll be right as rain.

I bundled out the door and flew down to the vet. All was well again, by the end of the week he’ll be happily snoozing on my chest as I watch QI and it’ll be like he was never gone. I bounce in and up to the reception both the lost and found posters clutched in hand like the matching pair of keys to the treasure that will bring our Ernie back home.

“I believe someone has brought our cat in to you, he’s been missing for some time. We were so worried” I happily say to the lovely lady behind the desk as I hand over the posters.

“Oh isn’t he pretty” she smiles, “I’ve been away for a few days but I’ll go see what we have in stock” chuckling as she went to fetch my buddy.

One, Two, Five minutes go by and she hasn’t returned. Happy optimism begins to dampen… maybe he’s more than a little poorly….. He’ll still be fine though. He’s only 8, positively middle-aged in cat years.

She shuffles, back into the room. She doesn’t look quite as bubbly as 5 minutes ago.

“I’m ever so sorry” she whispers. “Yes we do have him; he was brought in on Friday. We kept him in over the weekend but he kept fitting. We weren’t sure what was causing it but suspect it may have been epilepsy, there was nothing we could do and it was getting worse and more frequent as time was going on. Unfortunately we had to put him down last night.”

*Enter sound of world collapsing, stage left*

“We still have the body if you want to say goodbye”

I follow her into a small, silver, sterile room with a towel unceremoniously covering a lump on the table. “Are you ready?” I nod, and with that she pulls back the towel like a sick Paul Daniels trick and there was my friend, alone and unmoving on the soulless metallic slab. Clenched, still and scared.

I reached out to stroke him one last time… dead cats are cold.

I don’t know where he was in those four weeks he was missing, whether he was having these fits before, where he was sleeping, where he was eating. All I know was that those 30 minutes between thinking he was coming home to realizing I would never see him again where the biggest high and most disappointing, crushing low I have ever known.

And I can’t help thinking that if I’d known just one day earlier I could have been there and he wouldn’t have made his, no doubt painful, exit from this world alone.

Rest in Peace Ernie… Ernest…. Ern. You were my buddy, my friend and my companion and I’ll miss you always. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.



Length... About 20 inches… and far far too cold.
(The_Mighty_Spleen, Thu 26 Jun 2008, 22:17, 27 replies)

My sympathy.
Losing a beloved cat is almost like losing a sibling or a child. If I lost the Big Black Hissy Thing I'd be devastated.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Thu 26 Jun 2008, 22:28, closed)

Sadly I have to deal with this sort of thing
on a daily basis and I always feel awful for the people and animals concerned. I'm so sorry mate.

*hugs*
( fuck shit up the best you never had, Thu 26 Jun 2008, 22:52, closed)

Cold and sobering
I'm sorry for your loss fella - losing a pet is always a terrible experience...
(Sundayturkey has the biggest mug of tea, Thu 26 Jun 2008, 23:04, closed)

Poor kitty :( this made me cry!
*clickyhugs*
( Maladicta, Thu 26 Jun 2008, 23:16, closed)

Gah!
I'm sat here with my new babies on my knee sobbing my eyes out :(
( Batshitmentalist is sane for once, Thu 26 Jun 2008, 23:40, closed)

Ernie
Spleen,

I have three moggies. I am super soppy about them. My big grey one comes for walks we me and the kids across the fields, the other two muppets sit on top of gate miaowing until we get back. All three creatures are a big part of our family, just like your Ern. Your story has touched me - my sympathies mate.

Cheers
(Juan - King of Donkeys shut the fuck up on, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 0:14, closed)

The only reason I don't own a cat...
... is that I am too soft and would not be able to cope it they died. Plus i'm so allergic they could kill me by being in the same room for 10 seconds.

Sorry to hear that he's gone... i'll get some tissues now to wipe my dribbling snot and tears up.
(dkintheuk, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 0:25, closed)

Cats know when they are on their last legs
I've found from experience that they seem to get as far away from your house as they can , perhaps out of respect, I knew one once who was so poorly all it could do was get outside and sit under a deckchair and wait to die.
(lochii, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 0:25, closed)

I'm so sorry
It's very hard to lose a pet you love, and yes... dead cats are cold... and hard. One of my kittens died suddenly when I was 8 and I remember that final, cold good-bye touch so clearly.

I'm so sorry you and he had to go through this; please try not to think "What if," because it'll only make it worse. I hope you're doing all right, and healing after such a sad event.
(AlfishKK, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 0:48, closed)

Death's a bitch
I'm really sorry to hear about your cat. I lost my pet dog nearly two years ago and still remember the moment I found out. I was living at university and was only vaguely aware that he was ill, I knew he was feeling off but had no idea of how bad it was and nor did my parents. It's a horrible thing to go through.
(maca2kx, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 1:55, closed)

Lost one of two cats
a few weeks ago.

Went outside, the cat was lying there not moving, so I made the trilling noise that usually stirs it, no moving, I tried again, still nothing.

I didn't want to touch the cadaver, 'cos it'd be the last and most vivid memory of my cat; and I wanted to remember him as the warm fluffeh cat, not some cold clammy body.

My condolences.
(Frozen_Banana Shaved against the grain; thoroughly unrewarding., Fri 27 Jun 2008, 2:14, closed)

Aww :(
I had to have my kitty put down exactly two weeks ago. I'd had him since I was six (eighteen now). Hardest decision of my life. I feel your pain.
( trintrin has jam for blood, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 3:21, closed)

You poor dear!
My sympathies for your great loss.
( flirting with badgers What? It sounded good at the time., Fri 27 Jun 2008, 3:59, closed)

can't add anything to the above
but cries and clicks


xxx
(Rakky (forgot her password) The muffin maverick, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 4:18, closed)

Sorry
I have a Mastiff who is slipping. And reading your story brought a tear to my eye because I cant imagine how I will feel when I do have to say goodbye to the Goose for good.

I am SURE Ernie is in a happy place.
( Citadel Because the world needs less morons, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 5:11, closed)

It's just so awful
to loose a much loved pet - when the horriblehairyhound had to be put down, three years ago, I cried like a baby, and I was 48 years old at the time!

*Sympathy*
(Snabblim Dropfritt, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 8:23, closed)

big clicky hugs
Bloody well told too.
( Tourette's ( . )( . ) has a monkey hair in her fried egg, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 9:35, closed)

Awwww
Not a dry eye in the house.
Excellent first post. Very sorry about your loss. At least you know what happened to your cat and you had a chance to say goodbye.
(Miggyman, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 10:12, closed)

*cries*
*cries more*
*clicks*
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 10:18, closed)

So sad
So sorry to hear this - I lost my cat a few months ago now (a huge manx cat who was awesome) we found him curled up asleep in the shed, except more so. Reading this brings back the memory of it all. My sympathies to you *hug*
*Sniff*
( VandenPlas can't think of anything clever - no change there!, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 10:50, closed)

My sympathies Spleen
I've had many cats over the years, and know just how much it hurts to lose them.
(Herr Doktor Lemminge Is bored, so cheer me up!, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 11:17, closed)

*sobs*
*feline hug*
*clicks*
*sends over some fluffeh*
(bloody kraut, a ...ach, there is not enough fluffeh 'ere, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 14:22, closed)

Hugs to you
I know how much it hurts
(rubberballoons, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 16:52, closed)

How awful
So sorry. If lost my Benny I'd die myself from heartache...
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Fri 27 Jun 2008, 17:10, closed)

I know how it feels
to lose a cat you deeply love.

Meatloaf, my big hulk of fluffeh love, helped me through my parents' divorce by always coming to sit with me, and leaning on me when i was down (he was a big lad so felt him do it).

I moved out of my dad's house a few years ago, but Meatloaf stayed on as I didn't deem it fair that a now 11 year old cat would need the upheavel of moving again (we had moved a few years prior to this), and a few months later, my dad called to tell me that Meatloaf hadn't been seen for a week.

Then a fortnight.

Then a month.

I feel like I've lost my right arm whenever I need cheering up or fancy a nice cuddle.

Its not a nice situation you're in in any way, but just be glad to know where he is, so you have closure.
(Ethelred is watching cheese grow, Sun 29 Jun 2008, 23:30, closed)

FuckSocks.
More Fluffeh needed, v fast.
( DukeEuphoria Comes highly reccomended, Tue 1 Jul 2008, 12:03, closed)