One Week Later - Missing Our Kitty - Mouse ( June 2007 - February 23, 2011)

Baby Mouse - He came to us in June of 2007

Little Mouse

Mouse Trying to Hang with our Older kitties Rosie, and Toes (Toes was ran over and left us in 2009)

Playing with Sami (who is in a box, wearing a Halloween Costume in June!)

Making Friends!

Learning how to hunt - snakes!

Getting older and Riding the Bus! 

Our Big Boy - Riding the Quad - Nov. 2010!

Our Cool Cat - Mouse

Out near his favorite hunting spot - Such a handsome kitty

Hangin' with his favorite peeps on the roof

He Was Loved - and Just one of the gang

Mouse's favorite chair.  He often just laid here, belly up, legs out.  Happy.

Last Wednesday was horrible.

The kids went out to do their chores at 6:30 am... Shortly, thereafter, Sami came in screaming, balling, sobbing.  It was hard to get her to talk.  'Mouse is dead!  He's out in the field!  Maggie and Bugs were out of their kennel'. 

I freaked. Maggie.  Sami's dog.

She has gotten out before, and has always done damage.  Last summer?  She and her accomplice Lefty, chewed the heck out of one of Sami's bottle lambs, bloody neck.  But it lived.  Sami had to doctor it for months. 

Then another time.  She got out in the fall and killed all of Sami's baby bunnies.  Sami found bodies everywhere.  They were just 'released' to learn how to be in the yard.  Only 2 days of freedom. 

The two kennel dogs have been 'on the list'.  Sami was to find them new homes, or else Dick would send them to their destiny.

I ran outside. In my jammies.  with just mud  boots thrown on. Out in the snow.  There was orange fur right there at the back door.  He must have been corned, fought, then ran.

Jake was standing in the middle of the yard.  Sobbing.

The dogs were back in the kennel.  I had grabbed a stick and told Jake to leave, that I was going to get the dogs.  Dick must have been watching.  I heard him yell to Jake..to go.

I did not beat the dogs, but I did give each of them a smack and a few words.

Then, I went out in the field.

Mouse was on the snow.  Dead.  He had been killed.  Poor kitty.  I started sobbing.  I picked him up and just cradled him.  I held him to my chest and carried him like a baby.  He was cold, so it happened earlier.  The kids did not witness anything, Thank God. 

I took him in the garage and found a box for him.  I went into the house and got him a large bath towel, and made him a cozy, safe place in the box.  Jake came in and said goodbye.  When Jake went inside I put the box in the back of my car.  In times past, we have had funerals on the ranch, but it's winter.  The ground is frozen. 

I think Sami was still in the house.  I'm not sure.

We made the kids go to school.  I told Jake, he did not want to be home while his Dad took care of the dogs.  He understood.  It was hard to send them to school.  It was painful.  It was a very bad day.

I drove to La Grande for work.  An hour away, with the snowy roads.  I went first to an Animal Hospital and told them, our kitty had been killed.  That I needed a humane way to let him go. 

I decided to have him cremated.  I have never done this before.  And, it's done in a different state.  His ashes will not be here for another week.

After work, I went to a gift shop and got each of the kids a beautiful stuffed teddy bear.  I picked them up from school. Poor Jake.  We started sobbing the minute we got to the car.  They each got their bears.  I knew the night, when it was time to go to bed it would be very hard to sleep, and they needed something to cuddle, and remember Mouse by.

And I made spaghetti for dinner.  Their favorite comfort food. 

Jake.  My poor son.  He was in so much pain.  We prayed and asked God to take care of Mouse.  I told Jake Mouse is one of his guardian angels now, and that he is watching us.  Poor little guy.  Not sure I comforted him.  I can still see his face, pools of tears, and just shaking.  My little man.  Toes was his kitty and so was Mouse.  He needs something he can hold onto, that doesn't leave him. 

This morning he asked about Mouse - when do we get his ashes.  I told him next week.

We will then figure out how we will say goodbye.  Not sure yet, but the kids will be in charge.

We miss you Mouse.  You were one cool cat.  Thank you for taking care of Sami and Jake these last close to four years.  Thank you for being a gentleman kitty - you never jumped on the kitchen counters, you always meowed to go outside to do your business, you had your own favorite chair, and you never scratched the furniture or us.

We love you....