Over 2 weeks have passed since I had to say farewell to my beloved little puddytat, Rosie Liscious Lee. She saw the doctor because she was barely eating. Originally the diagnosis was that a dental cleaning was required, but a deeper investigation found a large tumor in her liver that was pressing down on her stomach and had likely metastasized. The doctor gave her pain meds and appetite stimulants, but after some heart wrenching hours, I decided the kindest action would be to put her out of her misery. If I had kept giving her the medication, it would have been for my benefit, not hers. I realized that I had done this with my beloved Kota, and was not going to be so selfish again.
I had adopted Rosie Lee from a couple who were having a yard sale in Flint Hill. Rob and I had gone to have a look and the lady told me she'd had a cat dumped in her yard. They had 5 of their own who weren't accepting Rosie Lee, or Pewter, as the lady had called her, and she was living in an empty room above the garage. It was hot up there and she was hiding, but came out when coaxed and rubbed against my legs. I was smitten, and knew she deserved a better life, so decided to take her. I hoped Kota would accept her, but being a very special cat himself, I didn't think it would be a problem. The photo above is when he first saw her. There were no fights and very soon became best pals.
Because she was so small, I had assumed she was only a few months old, so was amazed when the doctor said she was 2-3 years old, judging by her teeth. She always remained a small cat, but Kota looked after her and they were nearly always together.
They each had their own clamshell beds, which after a while, I discovered that Rosie Lee loved nothing more than snuggling inside this, under blankets, and even slept with me every night, inside my bed. When she sat on my lap, I would cover her with a throw, she just loved being wrapped up.
She was the most affectionate little cat that I've ever known. She followed me everywhere, was always around my ankles, or on my lap, or sleeping next to me. Every room I went to, she came. If I went upstairs, she came too, and then would follow me right back down again. She was my shadow, my constant buddy, and I miss her every minute.
She trusted me implicitly, without reservation. She was often sprawled on her back, whether on a chair, the bed, or my lap. Nothing worried her or fazed her, she was the most accepting and unquestioning little girl ever. She was very particular about her food though. She would eat most things, but did not want her wet food mixed in with her kibble. She had them in separate bowls at every mealtime, and would go from one bowl to the other as her fancy took her. When she lived with Kota, I could leave food out all day and they would both only eat from their bowls, but with Tricksie Treat, this couldn't happen, so food was only put out at mealtimes. Tricksie Treat gobbles down her meals with ferocious relish and was always finished long before Rosie Lee, who liked to take her time. But after each mealtime, Rosie Lee would leave 2 pieces of kibble for Tricksie Treat in her bowl.
Rosie Lee was very accommodating when it came to photo time. There were few occasions when she wouldn't comply, and most of the time she would pose for a portrait quite happily, always looking very demure and lovable, so sweet that most people thought she didn't have a bad thought ever. But, as she grew up, her personality developed, and she would definitely let me know if my behavior wasn't acceptable.
She wasn't very vocal, and her purr could barely be heard. She would sometimes give a squeak, but her expressions were priceless if things weren't going her way. She was the queen of the stink eye look. Thankfully, this didn't happen often; she was very loving and accepting of nearly everything I did.
I think she really missed her snuggle buddy, Kota; when he passed, they had been so close. She and Tricksie Treat were OK together, but it was apparent that they weren't the best of friends, so I only saw a few times when they were sitting together, and hoped a deep friendship would develop. It didn’t, but they accepted each other without any fights or scuffles.
Rosie Lee used to go outside when we lived at Marshall, but at The Blue House, she became a house cat. Of course, if I went out the back, she would want to come too, and every evening, when the weather was nice, she'd come outside and sniff around the back garden. She would check all the raised beds, and help herself to the catmint, when it was growing. Yet she never ventured further afield.
She loved racing around the house, zooming along the hallway, and through the rooms. She was an also a superb guard cat. A lot of time was spent looking out of the dining room and lounge windows, and if she saw an intruder, whether it was another cat, an opossum, groundhog, or human, she would emit a deep growl. I always praised her for this, and she would bask in her glory, lapping up the admiring words and accompanying strokes.
I had the fortune to have Rosie Lee as my companion for about 10 years, during which she had 2 feline friends alongside her, so she was never lonely while I was at work, or out and about. But even with Tricksie Treat still with me, there's a vast void in the house, and in my life. I miss her constantly, and am still looking for her or calling her when I forget that she's passed. My only consolation is knowing that she's now with Kota again, and my last words to her were that he was waiting for her. And later that day, as I was absentmindedly scrolling through my memories on Facebook, one popped up from 6 years ago. Kota Kat Supreme had passed on the same day as Rosie Liscious Lee, March 29th, 6 years ago to the day. I take that phenomenon as proof that they are together again, and it gives me some comfort.
