Some of you will have read how upset Iv been about Flumpet going to sleep recently. And its a terrible thing but sometimes you just have to bare the pain and do the right thing.
This is just some snippets from my diary of memories of the the Flump
The Fluffy Flumpet
We picked up Flumpet, formerly know as Zak on 27th April 2001 from Derby Cat Protection.
It had been a long week since we had been to see him. We were impressed by his lack of enthusiasm, coolness and his hairless tail. We knew he was the cat for us!
Flumpet had been there for over a year and had become more and more depressed over the months. His tail was bare but he still had the ping pong ball skills of Pele about him. That impressed my hubby.
Derby were playing at home that Saturday and getting from the south west side of town to the East took ages. Flumpet took it all in his stride with the odd little "meow" now and again.
He took to our house in Spondon, Derby very well and immediately started to explore the airing cupboard. He took to sitting on the open wooden stairs and peering down at his new home. Over the next few nights he meowed all night. In the end we decided to let him come to bed with us. We carried this on until he got too old and had to toilet through the night and was too messy. He loved his patch in the middle of the bed, laying with his belly in the air snoring away.
We never knew where he originally came from as the CPL had picked him up off the side of the road. He had been hit by a car. They had put his face back together and if you stared at him you could just tell he was a bit lop sided. But that didn’t matter to us as we wanted to give an older cat a home and it was always about being a friend to this little old man we had let into our hearts. We were not bothered that he didn’t look like the cat on a TV advert or artistic to others. In time he became the most beautiful cat to us. They all do to their families.
Over the years we learnt a lot about Flumpet. He loved rolling around in the flowerbeds.
One particular time we always remember fondly was when my hubby was talking to a neighbour over the garden fence. Flump was by his feet rolling around with his tummy in the air.
All of a sudden a large grasshopper jumped onto his belly and scared him half to death. He jumped up and then my husband says he just gave him this look as if to say. "What did you do that for. It’s all your fault"
Another time we had a mole in the garden. It had eaten all last springs planted bulbs and was making a mess of the beds. So one day I decided to put it off coming back to its den. With Flumpet following closely behind I trundled up the garden with a bucket of water.
Flump was now intrigued and sat down next to one of the many mole holes in the bed. No sooner had the water gone in, this very wet and terrified mole zoomed up and headed for Flump. He was having none of it. With a look of horror on his face at this monster he had just seen he legged it all the way down a 160ft garden in a matter of seconds.
Another time we took Flumpet to stay with us in a lodge on a friend’s farm.
He loved it! It was warm and very sunny and he spent his time sunbathing by the ceiling to floor windows looking out on a lake.
One morning though Flumpet had just got up from a kip in the window when all of a sudden a huge white swan poddled up to the window and stared at him right in the eye. He obviously thought Flump was a threat and perhaps even a male swan.
The swan gave Flump a good look up and down through the plate glass. Then turned round and pointed his behind in the air and did the unmentionable up the glass at Flump. Flumpet was not amused and just looked at me as if to say "what was that all about then?" then layed back down in the sunshine and started washing.
The swan annoyed he had not scared of the competition retreated to the water.
In the same lodge we had weasels living near by. They would play games with Flumpet. They would look in the front and then run around under the lodge in the cavity with Flump in full chase above ground. Flumpet loved his time at the lodge.
Sadly we got Flumpet when he was getting on a bit. He had gone passed his Kitten days but still played with all his toys for a few more years.
As old age crept up on our Flump more time was spent sleeping and he loved his wooly blankets, jumpers and fleece cushions that were made for him. He had to have almost all his teeth out and then two years ago undergo a very long operation to remove a large tumor from his outer ear.
Flumpet’s favourite place was in front of the coal fire.
I was very ill for a couple of years and being at home meant I had the grate going all the time, not just in the evenings. He spent hours sleeping in front of the fire and he loved to just sit and stare into it.
Sometimes we would say, I wonder what he’s thinking. He just looked so far away we wondered whose kitten he had been and if he ever longed for somebody.
Flumpet went to sleep on the 6th of October 2009 and it was a terrible day.
He had developed a very bloated tummy over two weeks and after changing vets and having two scans we were told he had an enflamed heart and a very large tumor on his liver.
We were told we had a decision to make and it’s such a painful one to make when it happens to you.
Flumpet’s brain was still fine and he wanted to go out and get on but his body was going. In the last few days he couldn’t get out to the garden and we made him comfy on his fleecy blankets where he just watched us all at times and slept. I cuddled him until he got too uncomfortable and choose to go to bed on his last evening with us.
On his final morning here he collapsed as his back legs were very weak.
I must say it’s the worst thing I have ever had to do but as the vet said the alternative was asphixiasation at least he went peacefully.
I always promised him I would be there at the end.
I told him I loved him and kissed his little neck as he went.
So my darling Flumpet who like all cats bring so much happiness to their owners lives farewell my darling.
When the night meets the day I will think of you
Stirring in your bed at odd angles
Purring softly, white fluffy belly in the air
In the morning sun I see you
Stalking a pebble or stone in the long grass
Rolling over and over to fight the pebble to the end
You realized you’re being watched and now you're a kitten
Bashful. Wide eyed and loved
In the darkness the coal fire flickers and wood hisses
The wireless on, we watch you contemplate and stare.
The flames mirrored in your eyes
Your tummy far too hot you collapse in a heap on the rug.
When I'm lonely and the world has hurt me
You sense the anguish, you wash away my tears
You cuddle me so hard, you are part of me
Bound together forever with love
And now the time has come for your body to leave us
That doesn't matter, it's only a shell
Your beautiful soul is entwined with mine forever
Forever kind, always sweetly locked inside my heart.
Love you forever Fluffy Flumpet
Have just got a scanner so soon I can put some piccies up of him in his very fluffy days x
