Our oldest daughter, Sheba

[Cliff]

I would like to share some stories and a few pics of our little Sheba

Sheba, an 18 year old short haired brown tabby cat, is our oldest daughter. She adopted my wife and I a few months after we got married. That was no typo by the way. When we were at the local SPCA, viewing cats for adoption, she immediately called out to us. As soon as I made eye contact with her, she started to purr. Made my heart melt. Ever since that moment she has been a very important family member to my wife and I.



As my wife and I were never able to have children, all of our parental energies have always been focused on our pets. I’m sure most people here understand what I’m saying. To us, she is like our child.

Sheba was approx 8 months old when we took her home. She got really sick within a few days and needed to be treated by our family vet. That’s right, we may not have a family doctor, but we do have a family vet. The vet found evidence that Sheba had her tail and jaw broken as a very young kitten sometime before she adopted us. It’s a good thing she became a part of our family as this makes her even more special to us.

Over the years she has become a cornerstone in our little family. There are many, many, things that she dose which can make even your worst day at least a little better. Here’s just a few of those things:

A) She has this special and unique meow (different from all other calls) that she only uses when you say hello to her or when you first enter the room. It’s like she is saying hello back to you.
B) She likes napping in direct sunlight but doesn’t like bight light so she will sleep with her paws covering her eyes or she will hide her little face in a blanket (or what ever is near by).





C) She took the right side of the bed away from me claiming that spot next to my wife as hers. Every time I would try to sleep on that side of her bed, she would sit on my chest and stare into my eyes like some type of furry little gargoyle. If that did not work she would lick my eye lids and walk all over my head until I moved to the other side of the bed.
D) She rules the house and is the only cat, or other animal for that matter, our 180lb St Barnard (pictured as my avatar) is scared of.
E) When she was a young lady, she would always come to the door and greet me in her own way when I would get home from work. When we got our first dog, she stopped that only because the dog would get in her way and she would just have to “tune him in” too often.
F) If either my wife or I are not in bed by 10pm, she will come down stairs to get us.
G) Every day before we leave for work, Sheba demands at least 5 minutes of attention and she makes sure she gets it. She will also do this within the first hour after we return home from work.
H) Sheba’s jaw did not heal straight as a little kitten so her teeth did not grow in correctly resulting in many teeth having to be removed latter in life. Because of this she would drool when she purred. The louder she gets, the wetter you get. Many times I left the house with a little wet spot on my shirt.
I) My wife taught her to give you a little kiss on command. When you are holding her and you tell her to kiss, she will give you a little lick on the bottom of your chin, most of the time.

Sheba also is the type of cat who takes interest in the things that you do. She really knows how to become a very large part of your life for such a little cat. If she could have only learned how to type, I’m sure she would have joined this forum after watching her dad post here.



Early this week we lost our little girl. My wife and I came home after going out for supper and we found her lying on the floor in the basement. She had suffered from a very bad stroke sometime while we were out. She could not move her legs or head and was experiencing difficulty breathing. We called our vet at home and rushed little Sheba to the vet’s office. After an examination from our vet it became apparent there was little to no hope for any measure of recovery and we had to say goodbye. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room

My intent of sharing my stories with you is NOT to generate any replies offering sympathy for our loss. I just thought I would share how this little cat had made our lives a whole lot better and hopefully put a smile on your face with the little things Sheba did that make her unique.

Sheba still warms my heart and puts a smile on my face, and she always will.

[Rue]

I'm very sorry Cliff. It's so hard when the pets pass on...

That was a lovely write-up. She was a gorgeous girl.

[rich311k]

I am sorry Cliff, it sure sounds like she was a special cat.

[Northernguy]

That is the hardest part of having pets and yes they become our children.
I am heart broke after reading that and sorry for you both.
I hope you both decide on another adoption real soon.It doesn't heal the memories but it sure helps to begin new ones.I am sure there is another out there that deserves to share your home and is desperate for some love.

[Little Embers]

*Wipes away tears*

Thank You very much for sharing your story Cliff, she definitely was gorgeous and very special. It reminds me of one of my favourite books “Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul”, a collection of short stories on the endurance of animals and how they enrich our lives.

I am so very sorry for your loss! Pets become a big part of the family even if we don’t realize it and for many, pets are their only family and their passing is a major loss. Sheba was with you and your wife for 18 years, so it isn’t hard to understand the significant impact she made and the void that is now left behind.

Pets enrich our lives so much and I hope we return the favour by enriching theirs….by the sound of it Cliff, you did just that and Sheba had 18 wonderful years because you followed your heart and instinct from that first moment.

[Gisela]

It is not easy to say Good Beye to a beloved pet. I also think of my pets as my "Children". My second oldest cat Felix died in June of cancer and I am still mourning his loss every day.

[octoxpuss]

Cliff, I am really sorry to hear about your loss. I have a 14 year old cocker spaniel that had a stroke, not easy, so this story hits home to a certain extent. My cocker spankiel is still kicking but not like he used too. Sorry to hear about your loss.

octo.

[chrisfraser05]

She sounds like a lovely animal and she definately had a good life by all accounts.

It really does sound like yours and your wifes lives were richer for knowing her and hers for knowing you guys.

RIP Sheba

[Pleco380]

Sorry about the loss. She sounds like she was a great cat.