Farewell Scully

After 14 faithful years, 11 different moves, 8 cats and 8 dogs, and 4 kids, she has passed on to greener pastures where she is happily eating the best high quality cat food and sleeping in the sunshine. Yesterday morning I noticed she was acting a little weird. She was very thirsty, her meow sounded strange and she wouldn't get up to come to me. I knew she was getting old, and figured her time would come sooner than later. She was a very healthy cat, we never had to take her to the vet. Maybe if we did she'd still be with us? I don't know, but it seemed like it was just her time. So when I went to pick up Devon from school yesterday, she had been sleeping under the van all day. When I started the car she didn't move, but with some effort finally got up and walked to the side of the house. When I got back, I went to look for her. After looking high and low, I finally found her deep under a thick bush. The kind with lots of spiders. Anyway, she was just laying there, and didn't even lift her head when I was petting her. She was very still. I tried to give her some soft cat food or water, but I don't think she could lift her head. She was breathing sort of shallow, but it didn't sound raspy or labored, so I don't think she was in much pain. The strange thing was that even though she couldn't move, and her eyes were open (but very cloudy and comotose looking) she was still purring when I was petting her. That made me happy to know that she knew I was there for her. We've been through a lot her and I! Troy got home & I showed him where she was. He wanted to take her to the vet to have her put to sleep, but I didn't want to drag her out of the bush and put her in the car which always makes her nervous (probably because the only times she's been in the car is when we've moved). Plus I didn't want to spend the money. If she was obviously in pain I would have taken her though. Anyway, Troy and I said our goodbyes. Troy commented that to him she sort of represented our marriage in that he got her for me as a wedding gift shortly after we were married, and she's been with us through all the ups and downs the last 14 years. We went in the house and told the kids, and we said a prayer that she wouldn't suffer and she would die peacefully and quickly. About an hour later Troy went back and said she had died. He wrapped her up and put her in a box, Audrey included some flowers. We weren't sure what to do next since we don't have any property. So we called our friends with a few acres and asked if we could bury her there. Since Cameron had a baseball game Troy went and buried her. He took a picture and a nice spot he picked out. The kids were very sad. Devon felt he took it the hardest since he knew her the longest, which is probably true. When he was a baby sometimes I would find her asleep on top of him. I think she liked Grandma Gubler's crocheted blankets too! It's been a good time to teach that it's okay to be sad, and to talk about how all living things have a spirit and go to 'heaven'. Troy told the kids what Joseph Smith taught- how the things that bring us joy and happiness on earth will continue to do so beyond the grave. So clearly there will be food and animals there. :) We are now a 2 cat (although I say 1 1/2, since the cat that we 'adopted' in Big Valley is scared of people, so we hardly see her) family. And 2 dogs and fish. At least we don't have birds, or rodents anymore. Whew! I am so grateful that we knew when her time was ending and could be with her. I would have been so sad to realize I hadn't seen her in a couple days and wondered where she was or what happened to her. Troy showed the kids the Mormon Message video, "Tender Mercies" by Elder Bednar and explained that knowing Scully was leaving us was a 'tender mercy'.  Here is her resting place:

                                                                 Scully 1998-2012