I cried yesterday. Sobbed like a baby. Got a headache from all the crying. And I needed to be comforted by my husband, who also cried. We had to put down our beloved (and adorable) cat Noodles, that why I cried. I miss her.
I first met Noodles when I met Chris and she’s demanded and commanded my attention ever since. Noodles wanted demanded to be petted right away. She would jump on the desk and walk back and forth under my hand, eventually lying down to be petted–and allowing you to finally see the computer screen. If you dared to stop petting, she would get up and the process would start again.
At night, Noodles would sometimes sleep with us. It was best when she would just curl herself around my head or my lie on my chest, sometimes curling herself around my neck. Before she would fall asleep, if I wasn’t still petting her, she would poke me in the face with her paw.
As she got older, she would just sit, bony paws poking into my chest. She would slowly ease her stiff body down and it was at those times that we noticed the pain. Pain that she bore stoically as she continued to jump from furniture, pausing to adjust as her back legs would hit the ground and almost give out.
Our beloved cat was also mute, no meows came from her throat, although sometimes she gave us a silent meow….usually when we weren’t moving quick enough to feed her. She might not have been able to talk, but her voice could certainly be heard. We heard it through her eyes, which commanded us expertly.
She had distinct times for being fed. When I got up in the morning, I had to get her food before I could make the coffee. She made that clear by pacing back and forth between my feet and her bowl. I would be in danger of tripping over her if I didn’t feed her first. And then, when I came home from work she would walk to the kitchen and sit in front of her bowl. Watching me put down my bags and take off my coat would be the only time she would wait while glaring at me. If I took too long, I would see the silent meow.
Noodles was also the star of two of my Creativity Prompts. My most recent one, Creativity Prompt Fifteen where she is laying on our copier and Creativity Prompt Five where she is in control of the TV remote. The last one, fifteen, was a preplanned piece and posted on the same day that she died.
Although she couldn’t meow, in the last few years, she could sing. A guttural sound that we called the Song of Her People. We never could get it on video until the last week. She sang it at odd times, sometimes by herself and would stop when someone came across her. Sometimes it expressed happiness and sometimes anger.
Over the years, we tried to capture her singing on video but she always stopped just as we started filming. But not this time. This week just before her legs gave out, before she couldn’t walk three steps without falling over, Chris managed to capture Noodles as she sang her song, which is what I leave you with.
Oh my heart! Such an emotive read. You poor thing. I’m so sorry for your loss. What an amazing cat Noodles was… stunning, clever, and by the sound of it, full of character. A huge loss. Thinking of you x
Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss. Noodles was a lucky cat because you both loved her so much.
Thanks Lori. As much as you love Louie, we loved Noodles.
How sad – so sorry. She sounds like a lovely cat.
Thank you.
I’m so sorry for your loss. As a cat person, I feel your pain. Noodles sounds like such a love. Peace to you and Chris.
Thank you. She sure was my love.
I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s so hard to lose a loved one. She sounds like a sweet thing.
Thank you. She was the sweetest.
I’m so sorry. It’s always so hard losing a pet. I love how you’ve captured her on video.
Thank you. I’m so glad, too, that we were finally able to get her on video.
Oh no – that’s awful, so sorry. Losing pets is so painful because it’s losing a member of the family. I really feel for you. Lovely warm descriptions of Noodles here, you make it easy to imagine how she was. Cry a lot and take comfort from the memories – that’s all you can do when a beloved pet leaves. xox
Thanks, Gilly. It does feel almost as hard as losing my sister. Of course, my sister didn’t sleep on my chest or purr for me. But maybe, if I had petted her, she might have purred.
I’m so sorry. It’s heartbreaking to lost a pet. We had an adored cat, Jasmine, who looked a lot like your Noodles. She made it to 23 years old before leaving us several years ago. I still miss her. Noodles’ song is beautiful.