I know we have just under a month to go but it's safe to say that I can't wait to see the back of 2016. If you follow me on any of my other social media channels (links in the sidebar) you'll know that last week was pretty horrible.
It started off okay but from Tuesday onwards everything went much downhill. My beautiful Persian cat, Jasper stopped eating, I tried to tempt him with a Dreamies treat which he ate with such ferocity, that he ended up biting into my right index finger. I've had cat bites and scratches before but this one was a bit different, the pain was horrendous and my finger went bright red and swelled up.
A trip to urgent care (round of applause to the NHS by way - great service!) was on the cards, and after a thorough clean, dressing, and a tetanus jab I returned home to a poorly cat with two lots of antibiotics to combat any infection I may have gotten. I think I'm going to end up with a scar but at the time I was more concerned about my ginger boy.
He had several health problems and over the next few days he steadily deteriorated but he wasn't in any pain and we hoped open hope, that he would pass away peacefully in his sleep, but being the stubborn cat that he was, he held on till Saturday morning, when me and my mum made the decision to say our goodbyes and take him to our local vets for the final time.
What can I say about Jasper, the fluffiest, most stubborn, most loving, most laid back and most complicated cat that I've ever met. He came into my life nearly 13 and a half years ago, when I was dealing with the loss of my dad and the two Siamese cats that I had since I was little, my life was in turmoil, and the little furry faced man made things better in an instant. Even with three cats now the house is just that little bit quieter - Charlie keeps running up stairs and looking in all of the rooms, and Tallulah and Jake are jumping up, running and waking up at even the slightest sound.
I know a few people who've said to me that they can't or won't have pets because they can't deal with losing them but I think that's the wrong way to look at it. Pets teach you so much about life, yes they teach you how to deal with loss, and they teach you responsibility but they also teach you about love. An animals love is unconditional, they ask for so little in return for years and years of love and companionship. I know it sounds strange to some people but animals really do become a part of your family, they see you at your best and at your worst, and there always there when you need a furry, feathery or scaly shoulder to cry on, or someone to vent too.
We're hurting at the moment but the pain will ease and we have 13 and a half years of happy memories to cherish. Thank you so much for reading and for your lovely sympathy messages and comments, I really do appreciate them x I'm going to end this post with a picture I shared on all of my other social media accounts this week, it's so typical of the cat that he was, Jasper doing something that he shouldn't have been but with that look on his face that made you forgive him in an instant x
