Heather and I returned from a wonderful vacation last Saturday night. We took the river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam with Viking River Cruises. Can’t say enough how much we enjoyed the trip and the luxury on board ship. Excellent food, top rate service, interesting sights, and every day a new port and adventure. We saw Budapest, attended a concert in Vienna, cruised the Wachau Valley, went to Salzburg, had a fun meal in the Ratskeller in Munich, saw Courtroom 600 in Nuremberg, had an adventure finding a pharmacy open on a Sunday in Bamberg, walked the small town of Wertheim, saw the cathedral in Cologne, and visited Dutch windmills at Kinderdijk.
I took close to 600 pictures and Heather even more. We took daily notes and bought guide books of the bigger sites we saw so we’d have a chance a remember all that we learned on our visit. All through the trip I made an effort to be able to report later on the good stuff we discovered.
Today I had intended to post a fun little summary of our trip and do the work of outlining my July posts about the trip. But …
Last Saturday was a travel day and we returned home late. Spotty and Socks kitties were at home, having stayed there with friend dropping by daily to feed them. Bella and Boots were still at the Kitty Hotel. We felt that two of the cats would do better on their own at home, while the other two needed more supervision.
We rose Sunday morning to discover that the washing machine had a major leak and we were off to the Laundromat. I picked up the two kitties from the hotel and they were fussy and needy for a few days. On Tuesday Heather discovered that Spotty Kitty had a wound on her hind end and we spent part of Tuesday evening at the vet’s getting the abscess treated. It’s likely that Spotty got in a fight with a local cat a few days before we got home.
Of course, all the kitties were fussy and upset at our long absence and interruption to their routine. Cats like routine and don’t do well when that is interrupted. By Wednesday things were mostly back to normal with the cats and Heather had purchased a new washing machine that we hope will be delivered next week.
Then Thursday happened.
Heather called me at the office midday and I knew something was wrong – she never calls me at work and I knew something horrible had happened before I answered that call.
Our beautiful kitty, Bella, had died. Here is what I posted for our Facebook Friends that day:
Goodbye Bella
It was four years ago that Bella kitty and her three siblings came into our house. Over those years she made her way into our lives and hearts.
Today she was hit by a car and died.
If there is a rainbow bridge, Bella is now in that green meadow waiting for us.
Today in this place, there is an empty bowl, a red blanket without an owner, the memory of a face that will never again appear in the kitchen, and a kitty bed with fresh roses placed with care.
We called her Bella, Bella Kitty, Bella the Belly, or sometimes just Belly.
There is no way to write today of all that she meant to us. The tears flow too freely to see the screen to write. The heart aches too much at the thought of the hole that has just been torn open.
Back in May I wrote a post titled, Contrast, that title has been on my mind again this week. The joy and excitement of our once in a life time trip will forever be balanced by a homecoming that has left a hole in our hearts.
And yet life goes on – two memories will live with us forever, the wonderful European river cruise and the life of our dear little Bella.
Peace,
Andrew
I’m sorry to hear about Bella. It’s always very hard when a beloved pet dies. It’s been 3 years since our cat, Bruno, died, but we still miss him and often recall his playfulness.
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We’ll also miss our Bella. The suddenness of the event makes it worse.
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I’m so very, very sorry. Losing a pet is always difficult, but especially when they’re young.
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It was a shock and a sad loss.
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It’s so hard losing a pet. I am so sorry for your loss.
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It is.
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So sorry about your kitty! I love your writings. If I can’t go, your photos & stories take me there!
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We miss our Bella. I’ll have more on the trip soon.
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Your cruise sound wonderful Andrew. So sorry that such a wonderful adventure was followed by the loss of your Bella. So sorry to hear this.
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We had a wonderful trip and now miss our Bella.
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Thanks for sharing about your wonderful trip, but I’m so sorry to hear about Bella. It’s so hard losing a pet, so there are no words, except to remember the time you had with her. Take care…
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It’s difficult losing our Bella – she’ll be remembered.
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Our black lab, Lucky, passed in 2011, and we still have photos of her around the house, even though Copper’s with us now. They’re never forgotten.
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Heather’s working on getting a good print of a picture of Bella for our “pets” wall.
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That’s great and might ease the pain a little…
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I’m so very sorry Andrew. But Bella crossed that rainbow bridge knowing that she was dearly, dearly loved. I know you will miss her… Virtual healing hugs of comfort for you and Heather.
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Thank you, Bella will be missed.
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Welcome home, my friend. And sympathy for the loss of your dear companion Bella. Make that empathy. I’m owned by a cat and can feel your loss.
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Thanks for your kind words. They do get into your heart and are greatly missed when they’re gone.
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So sorry to hear of your loss. They may be just cats to others but to those of us who understand them they are the best of companions and a part of the family.
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She was very much apart of our life.
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Oh, no, how awful. Poor Bella; and poor you and Heather. My heart aches for you.
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Thanks – it was a difficult day.
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At first I was excited to read your post as we too have just returned from a wonderful river trip and particularly enjoyed Budapest, Bratislava, and a concert in Vienna. Then I reached the sad part. A pet is never just an animal but part of the family. Best wishes, X
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The river trip was great. Sadly our return wasn’t as fun. Soon I’ll post something happier about the trip.
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So sorry for your loss, Andrew. I still mourn the loss of our cat that passed while we were on vacation years ago. They forever hold a special place in our hearts♥
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They do work their way into your hearts.
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I am so sorry about your dear Bella. Losing a beloved creature from our lives is the most painful thing. I have been there and my heart goes out to you and Heather for your loss.
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Thank you. It’s sad to lose a pet like this.
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I’m sorry to hear about your loss, Andrew. It is never easy to lose a pet. They are time capsules of our lives.
Ω
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It never is.
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I am broken-hearted for you, Andrew. I have followed you and the exploits of all of your cats for years, know the love and respect with which you treat your cats, how you cherish each as a unique family member. I am so sad for your loss.
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It’s a sad time for us.
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Andrew, I’m sorry to hear of your loss, and its residual shock. The contrasts are mind-boggling. On what I hoped wouldn’t be the last day of life for one of our fur-kids, and while waiting for my husband to clear our the back of his van, if I turned my head to the left, I could watch my first ever hummingbird up close, a jewel green, something I’d longed forever to see, now busily attracted by the bee balm flowers that perfect July Sunday morning in bright sun. If I turned it to the right, I saw our only dog ever, laying on the side yard’s lawn, incapable of ambulating because of pain, and bleeding from somewhere we ultimately couldn’t fix. I forced myself to look to the right, all my attention to the right. We did not come back with him. Hummingbirds seem overrated since then. Your Bella had a good life. Our JJ had a good life. We can at least know that.
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Bella was a good kitty and will be missed.
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You’ve posted some nice pics of the kitties; perhaps a lovely wood-framed collage is in order, some other day. ❤
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Heather is working on that. We have a picture wall for our other “RIP” kitties, Bella will be added to that.
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Aw, so sad. Living in the country as we do, this is how we lost most of our cats except for our last kitty. She was terrified of the road and cars and we were glad of it.
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Sadly, these cats don’t have much fear of the road.
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This is where we need something other than “like” button. Life’s ups and downs in one post.
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Yes, not exactly a post to “like”. Life does have it’s extremes.
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Not much wisdom to impart, so I’ll simply send virtual hugs.
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Thanks.
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Aw, so sad. It was a year ago that my four kittens were dumped on my doorstep. I’ve lost two cats here in the past 17 years and lost three in the 14 years I lived in the Redwoods of CA. , but so far so good for these four. It is the price they pay for freedom. My 17 year old cat stays inside by choice, but I don’t want to keep the young cats inside all the time. I suppose I will face what you are going through now in the future. Hope not, but part of loving animals and people is losing them and the good parts of pets outweigh the sad parts. Still, so sorry you’ve lost your Bella.
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The sudden loss was a shock. I’ve lost other cats, but never like this.
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I am so sorry.
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Thank you, it was a shock.
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I’m sorry for your loss Andrew, it’s obvious what all your cats mean to you.
Hugs
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These cats are special and are part of our family. Losing one is sad.
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Andrew, I’m so very sorry to hear about Bella. I’ve had kitties all my life and I know how excruciating it is to lose one. But how wonderful to have had them in our lives.
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Sudden loss is hard and she was a young one.
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