soop's kitchen for friendly folk and precious pets.

Oh, how sad! I am so sorry, soop and McS too. You couldn't have done more for her when others, I'm sure would have left her to her fate rather than go to great lengths to make her as comfortable as you did. I send you all my warmest thoughts. Xxx

That is so sad, Soop, but she will be sleeping peacefully now, no more pain and trouble, and she was with friends who loved her.

RIP Bracken

Oh it is always so heart wrenching when we lose a companion. soop I send my kindest regards

Pet was never mourned as you,
Purrer of the spotless hue,
Plumy tail, and wistful gaze
While you humoured our queer ways,
Or outshrilled your morning call
Up the stairs and through the hall -
Foot suspended in its fall -
While, expectant, you would stand
Arched, to meet the stroking hand;
Till your way you chose to wend
Yonder, to your tragic end.

Never another pet for me!
Let your place all vacant be;
Better blankness day by day
Than companion torn away.
Better bid his memory fade,
Better blot each mark he made,
Selfishly escape distress
By contrived forgetfulness,
Than preserve his prints to make
Every morn and eve an ache.

From the chair whereon he sat
Sweep his fur, nor wince thereat;
Rake his little pathways out
Mid the bushes roundabout;
Smooth away his talons’ mark
From the claw-worn pine-tree bark,
Where he climbed as dusk embrowned,
Waiting us who loitered round.

Strange it is this speechless thing,
Subject to our mastering,
Subject for his life and food
To our gift, and time, and mood;
Timid pensioner of us Powers,
His existence ruled by ours,
Should - by crossing at a breath
Into safe and shielded death,
By the merely taking hence
Of his insignificance -
Loom as largened to the sense,
Shape as part, above man’s will,
Of the Imperturbable.

As a prisoner, flight debarred,
Exercising in a yard,
Still retain I, troubled, shaken,
Mean estate, by him forsaken;
And this home, which scarcely took
Impress from his little look,
By his faring to the Dim
Grows all eloquent of him.

Housemate, I can think you still
Bounding to the window-sill,
Over which I vaguely see
Your small mound beneath the tree,
Showing in the autumn shade
That you moulder where you played.

Thomas Hardy.

I`m so, so sorry Soop and McSporran. No cats could have been better cared for, and wanted, than the handsome Rory and the beautiful Bracken. At least she isn`t in pain anymore, and I`m sure she knew how very much she was loved. Take care Soopxxx

Oh no soop !!

I am so sad for you and MacS and of course the lovely Rory.

Sending you a huge hug xx

Just popped over from the knitting thread (no pun intended) to offer condolences Soop. A horrible decision to have to make, but I'm sure the right one.

Beautiful words from Thomas Hardy. with which we can all empathise.

Soop I am very very sad for you all, you did all you could and it was far far better for Bracken to go to sleep in the arms of those who loved him best than to die alone, possibly cold and afraid under some lonely hedge.
Heartbreaking though

Oh, soop, I'm so sorry to hear about Bracken. Huge (((hugs))) to you, MacS and Rory. We know how much you loved her, as i think we all did! You gave her a good ending which I'm sure you know in your heart of hearts. She obviously felt safe with you as she kept coming back.

Maw, I'm so sorry that you will miss out on the celebrations but I'm sure they will be thinking of you.

Charley, has any sort of peace and orderliness been restored yet? My friend has been having an extension done and is tearing her hair out already and the work isn't due to finish until the end of May.

NandG - I'm exhausted thinking about your 'sports'. Luckily, this year, it's everyone to DD1's which I am very grateful for. I'm feeling ready for a bit of a sit down!!

Tomorrow is the day my brothers and I finish sorting out Mum's last few belongings. It's a bit sad when all that is left of such a long life is 3 or 4 boxes of Crown Derby (Mum's pride and joy!), some pot lids and a few bits of battered silver - oh, and an umbrella stand! Hey ho - as bags would say.

Such sad news soop

I am sorry to hear about Bracken, soop, it is always so upsetting and we don't get used to it

soop and MacS so sorry to hear about Bracken but it did sound as though she could not continue as she was and left to nature in the woods where it would have been a sad, lonely painful death. She was so lucky, knowing that she was loved and cared for by yourselves and Rory. She is happier now where she is RIP Bracken.

The scaffolding still sits here but one of the builders rang me and turned up around lunchtime to carry out a couple of hours work as dictated by the boss. There is at least 8 hours work here and luckily some of the touch up painting was done today because the new blinds are being fitted in the new kitchen tomorrow pm. He is coming back tomorrow (I hope). He definitely has to return on Saturday after the plumber has finished to plaster and repaint. I do not understand why one room can be finished at a time and the door closed instead of flitting from room to room. Silly me for being organised. I am not having anything else done this side of hell freezing over.

Ah, soop, sad news indeed. Brwcken was loved and cared for, her welfare was out first at all times, none of us can ask for more. Hugs to you, macs and Rory.

Still not smooth sailing then, charley, I agree with you, logic would say a room at a time, but then logic is often viewed as illogical.

We're feeding some of the family on Easter Sunday, n&g, no sports or egg hunts though, our garden is too small, or that's my excuse. You sound a bit down mawb, it must be disappointing, sometimes we just don't want to listen to a common sense head.

Big hugs to all who need them at the moment.

I'm afraid Chez Duster will not have much in the way of family celebrations this weekend. SIL is taking GS off on a boys weekend to Amsterdam with his cousin and his boy who is a bit younger than GS. There is, of course, a football match involved. DD has asked if she can stay the weekend with us - of course, I said "No". Why on earth would I spend my weekend cooking all her favourite food and making sure she has a couple of long lie-ins? Can't imagine! ?

I'm not having anything else done this side of hell freezing over. Care to run a book on that, Charley?

Sending you some Yorkshire hugs, and wishing you a peaceful night soop, McS and Rory.

Dear 'soop and McS*, it's a wonderful thing that Bracken chose to come back to you when she knew she couldn't go on. And you didn't let her down. You did the best and kindest thing for her. I'm sure Rory will miss her.

soop so sorry for the loss of your beloved Bracken

I have only just read the news about Bracken and feel incredibly sad that it came to this. Your heart will be aching soop. We have lost so many cats over the years and each one leaves a fond memory. Every one a different character, as cat-lovers know.Thank you for sharing her story with us - our virtual pet in our virtual kitchen.

You and MacS have done a hard but good thing, soop. Poor little cat. She knew that you would ease her suffering. xx

I did feel down cornergran which seems trivial compared to how poor Soop and macSporran must be feeling. I think annsixty knows how I feel. Easter is usually an important family time for us, so to feel isolated from the rest of the family at DD's 40th and then not seeing the little ones either on Easter Day sort of got to me. C'est la vie. Heigh ho.

Sorry to read about poor Bracken , but you were very brave to do the right thing for her xxxxxxx

I've not had a chance to chat in the kitchen for a wee while but have been popping in from time to time especially interested in seeing what news of Bracken. Oh soop you will have such a sore heart and your lovely man too. You did everything you could and so much more besides but sometimes even that can feel like not enough. Sometimes caring such a lot brings its own sorrows. Thinking of you both xx

Charleygirl, I know that as Mia is white she should stay out of the sun, but sunbathing is her favourite thing! I do put sun cream on her ears and nose in sunny weather, but I have a sneaking suspicion that as soon as she gets outside, she licks it off! We`ve had her 4 and a half years now, and she must be about 6 years old, and no signs of sunburn as yet.

RIP Bracken