The cats, all four of them, have sensed the change in our household since Abby’s departure Friday morning. We’ve put away her beds and gathered up her snacks and toys. But it’s more than that.
One of our older cats, Patty, is quite feral and does not allow Bill or me near her. But how she loved Abby! She would weave in and out of Abby’s legs and nuzzle her. She would follow Abby around the yard wanting her to play. Abby tolerated the little cat rubbing all over her, but one had the sense that she seemed a little humiliated by Patty’s attention. Patty hasn’t come around to eat the last two days. Perhaps she knows Abby’s gone.
It was a nightly routine, as Bill and I got up to go to bed, to have Abby run outdoors for a quick minute, then follow us to the bedroom. The last two nights have seemed strange without the sound of her coming along behind us.
We had talked about the fact that, because it is so hard to lose a pet, that we would not get another dog. But within 24 hours Bill said to me that maybe we do need to think about getting another dog. It is so lonely around our house without her.
I’ve heard it said that a man who marries quickly after the death of his wife is actually complimenting his wife, indicating that he was happy in marriage and doesn’t want to be alone. Is it that way with a dog, too? Would we be disloyal to Abby to get another dog or would we be indicating what a joy she was to our household?
We’ll see……..