We lost Banjo this past weekend. He was only fourteen months
old.
He came to us on my birthday, in September. A
heartbreakingly skinny jumble of skin and bone and dirty fur that weighed barely a pound despite being six months old, he’d been born
feral with cerebellar hypoplasia, which made it hard for him to walk or even
stand for long without falling over. I didn’t want to take on such a huge
responsibility, didn’t want any more cats. But I couldn’t leave him and his
sister to die miserable deaths, so we trapped them and brought them home.
We almost lost them that first week when they had an
inexplicable, nearly fatal reaction to their vaccinations. After bottle-feeding
them kitten formula around the clock for weeks, we finally had to acknowledge
that as bad as they had been before, they were now worse. Scout eventually was
able to feed herself and drink unaided (although she’s since lost that ability…),
but Banjo never could manage it again. So I hand fed him, three times a day,
month after month. The bond we formed was fierce. His coordination might be
lousy, but there was never anything wrong with his mind or his heart or his
soul. He was an amazing little guy.
Through it all he remained as alert, intensely aware,
happy-go-lucky, and loving as ever. He brought me endless joy and laughter and
love, and he taught me some much needed lessons about patience, and
perseverance, and acceptance. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was
blessed the day Banjo came into my life. And I am devastated now that he has
gone out of it.
Farewell, my little friend. You are badly missed.
18 comments:
But Banjo and Scout know love, and that's all because of you.
So sorry for your loss.
I am so sorry to hear about Banjo. You clearly made a huge difference in his short life, as he did in yours. How lucky you were to find each other. My condolences at this sad time.
I am so sorry for your loss. Losing a pet is like losing a member of the family. Banjo was so lucky to have you.
Now I'm tearing up at work. I am so very sorry to hear that Banjo is gone. Take comfort in knowing that, in his short life, he knew the blessings of having a loving home and family. That is no small thing.
Veronica
It was a wonderful relationship you'll never forget. I'm sorry for his loss.
c-so sorry about banjo. but for his short time here you made his life as good as it could ever be. and in return he left his mark on you. there are times when animals teach us more than people ever could. i'm at work with a tissue to my eyes pretending its allergies. hoping that your great memories cheer you eventually. best, ali
My eyes welled up when I first read on facebook, and now just did again. You will always remember him and you gave him care and love. He couldn't have asked for a better home. Sabena
It's so hard to lose a pet as you know but thank God Banjo had you. You might find comfort at Rainbow Bridge. http://rainbowbridge.catsplay.com/
So sorry for your loss, Candy.
Oh,Candy, you've made me cry...I'm so sorry. I wish our pets would last forever...they bring so much joy. He really was the sweetest little guy.
So sorry to read about your loss of Banjo. I'm not sure if you believe in such things or not but sometimes psychics seem to bring people's pets forward in readings, so he might still be around you somehow. Recently my husband's neice had a reading and he was shocked when she told him that his father had come through, with a very big dog beside him. The family had a huge English Mastiff when my husband was young, which won a largest dog competition. You might think this is a load of rubbish or you might find it comforting.
I am sorry for your loss. Your eloquent words about Banjo's life with you are a vibrant testimony to happiness and growth he created in his short time with you. I join you in celebrating the love you shared. May it make your sadness more bearable.
Losing pets are so hard. We've lost a few around here and our hearts break every time. Yes, he was loved and cherished, but you're now missing a piece of you. My heart and thoughts go out to you while you grieve.
Ah, this is so sad, so hard ... I'm very sorry to hear your Banjo has gone. But because of you, he was loved, and I have no doubt he would have passed knowing this - and I hope that knowing you made such a huge difference to his short life gives you some comfort.
My thoughts are with you.
I'm so sorry about Banjo. It's always hard to lose pets because they bring such joy. I hope Scout is doing well. I'm sure she misses her brother.
Thank you, everyone, for your kind words of support. My computer died this week, so I've been pretty much off-line. I've been so upset about losing my two cats (yes, TWO) that I could care less about the computer.
I have some news that I hope may give you a little cheer after your terrible week. Who Buries The Dead has popped up as a pre-order in Amazon Aus on kindle. That is the 1st time any of your books have done that, so it is a very good sign that they are selling more down here. Well done!!
Suzanne, that is interesting, thank you!
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