It is with a broken heart that I’m writing to let you know that my sweet Ruby girl passed away Wednesday afternoon. I needed some time to mourn her privately before being able to share the sad news with you and mourn her publicly.
Less than three months after she was diagnosed with what was most likely renal lymphoma, my precious little girl is gone. I chose to provide hospice care instead of pursuing aggressive diagnostics and treatment, and I have not regretted my choice for one moment. Even though that choice may have cut our time together short, it made up for it with love a thousandfold for what it lacked in length.
As Ruby’s energy and weight fell off over the last few weeks, she still loved her two favorite activities: being in my lap, and eating. When it became evident that the cancer was winning, I made the agonizing decision to let her go while she was “still Ruby.” I barely had time to get used to the idea of her being terminally ill before she died at home in my arms on Wednesday.
Ruby joined Allegra and me in April of 2011 as a six-month-old kitten. She brought so much joy and light to our home during the past eight and a half too short years. This little cat was all about loving and being loved. Allegra and I are trying to cope as best as we can as we will be adjusting to life without Ruby.
Eventually, I will write about Ruby’s hospice care experience in more detail, but it’s probably going to be a while. While writing has always been part of the healing process for me after losing a cat, it’s not something I am able to do while everything is so raw and hurts so much. I’m going to need time to heal from this profound loss before I do so.
I adopted Ruby from the SPCA of Northern Virginia. If you’d like to make a donation in her memory, that would be a lovely way to remember her.
Fly free, sweet girl. I will never stop missing you.
My Sincerest Condolences to you & Allegra. My heart goes out to you!
I’m so very sorry for your loss. My condolences to you and Allegra as you adjust and mourn Ruby.
I am so sorry Ingrid and Allegra. It is so hard to lose a loved one. And it seems even harder when one is a tortie.
Fly free Ruby and play with my torties Mica and Spicy
Ingrid, We are so sorry to hear this. Our hearts break for you and Allegra. Ruby will be waiting for you over the rainbow. We know she brought such joy to you and you to her. You were both blessed to share each other..
Dear sweet Ruby,
May you be blessed with happiness,
and free from all pain and suffering.
With sympathy for you Ingrid and Allegra.
You have my deepest sympathy.
I am so terribly sorry . I’d been wondering how she was doing since you wrote of her diagnosis. My thoughts are with you and Allegra. xo
I’m so sorry for your loss. My heart breaks for you. Sending love and healing hugs.
I’m so sorry! Love and prayers to you!
Oh Ingrid Im so so sorry! I just read my daily “The Conscious Cat” email as every morning and I couldn’t help it and feel your sadness and pain and cry. I hope you can find the comfort you need. Allegra needs you, she feels it too! I have been following you for years and these news are always a huge pain in the heart. My sincere condolences.
I am so sorry about Ruby
My condolences. May you and Allegra grow stronger and love more deeply when the pain ebbs. Don’t let anyone tell you that you should’ve done things differently than you did for Ruby. Quality of life is so much more important than quantity of life. What you chose to do was loving, brave, and compassionate. Blessings to you, Allegra, and Ruby – where she now plays, purrs, and feasts pain free and is waiting to greet both of you both when it’s time.
I’m so sorry 🙁
I am so very sorry for your loss. Ruby was incredibly lucky to have you and Allegra. Thank you for sharing her journey with us. RIP sweet Ruby. Much love to your family.
I am so very sorry for your loss of Ruby. It was always a delight reading your stories of their adventures. The banter between the two kitties always made me laugh. It was obvious how much you loved your girls. And how much they loved you. Please know that by choosing hospice you gave Ruby a gift of love. Your readers are all grieving with you. Take care of yourself and Allegra. We are all thinking of you both.
Just so oooo very, very sorry. I have come to know and love Ruby through your newsletters. I feel the loss, too. May comfort, acceptance and peace surround both of you as you face this loss together. Ruby was blessed to share her life with you as you were with her.
So sorry about the loss of sweet Ruby!!
I am so sorry for your loss. I’m lost for words, the death of a beloved cat is such a terrible thing. Cats share our lives in ways that are so deep and endless. They are everywhere, every moment and they never really leave us. Sweet, sweet Ruby.
Dear Ingrid, I am so very sad to hear to hear Ruby’s passing. I know how painful it is to lose a beloved kitty and my whole heart goes out to you. Ruby had a wonderful life with you and I hope that consoles you a little bit although I do know the pain you must feel in these difficult moments. I and my 7 kitties will be thinking and praying for you and for Allegra who must also feel devastated by the loss of her friend Ruby.
So sorry to hear about Ruby.
Ingrid, I am so sorry! You are a wonderful person and humom and I know these Holidays will be nothing what you expected. Ruby is not in pain, she is flying high and her spirit will be with you forever.
I am so deeply sorry for your loss of sweet Ruby. She brought love and joy to so many of us. Much love to you
I am so, so sorry. Ruby left way too soon… how awful that this illness cut her life with you so short. Lots of purrs to you. <3
Ingrid, my thoughts are with you tonight…I am so very sorry for your loss of Ruby. I went thru the same thing in Feb. with my 16 year old tuxedo, Lola and we did the hospice decision as well…currently I unfortunately going thru the same thing with my 10 year old buff boy kitty….these wondrous little creatures just don’t live long enough.
I’m sorry. Painful but we all lose things and the less clinging the easier. I’m sad for you at this ending
I’m so sorry. Sending you and Allegra hugs and comfort. I will miss hearing sweet Ruby’s stories. Please take care of yourself.
I am sad to hear this News. I remember when you brought that little Tortie kitten in and enjoyed your stories and her blog. She will be missed , but will able to play all our Furkids on the other side of the Bridge. And those Torties that had Tortitude to the Max Kasey, Steeler and Stirfry will watch over her closely. She will always be in your heart and her memory will always bring a smile to you lips. My deepest regards Jay
Sending you all love and hugs and healing
Love and hugs! My heart goes out to you, Ingrid. I know what you are feeling. With as many cats as we have (presently 21), hardly a year goes by that we don’t have to mourn a few. Where there is love, there is sorrow. This goes for humans as well as for animals. Still, what would life be without love?
Heart-breaking news. So sorry. Grace and Peace to you at this very painful time.
My heart goes out to you. Hugs.
Oh my gosh, I gasped when I saw this email come through. Dear, sweet Ruby. I am so very sorry.
Ingrid, I am so very, very sorry for your loss. Sending many warm thoughts and purrayers yours and Allegra’s way.
I’m so sorry for your loss and Jasper, Prince and myself are sending hugs and love to you and Allegra. You are in our thoughts and prayers and we care about you so much! Honor your feelings and you did such a wonderful job with Ruby! You honored her wishes and gave her a wonderful life. That is such a wonderful gift to give!! Take care and honor how you feel.
Comment
I am so sorry to hear this unbelievable news
Very sorry for your loss. She is no longer by your side but forever in your heart.
Very sorry for your loss. She may be no longer by your side but will be forever in your heart.
I’m deeply sorry for your loss. I understand, having been there four times with four other cats how deep the pain is, and I pray for healing and comfort at this extremely difficult time. Ruby was so lucky to have you.
I am so sorry she is gone. You gave her a wonderful home, always surrounded by love. She could not have had a better life than the one she shared with you and Allegra. May she rest in peace. We will always remember her sweet face. Leonor (from Palo Alto Humane Society)
Oh Ingrid, I’m so very sorry. There really are no words. Love to you.
Oh Ingrid and Allegra, what words would ever heal both of your hurts at this time, ‘I’ve no idea.’ My heart, mind, and spirit are with both of you and they will remain with you both for many many days to come. And my prayers to G d will be directed toward both of you. I love you both. Ruby is free from pain, hurt and discomfort now, and she is traveling to her new home where she’ll be safe, happy and well again to live in peace and happiness as she was meant to as the ‘Beautiful Gem,’ you so deemed her to be. I love you Ruby, I hope you had a safe trip, and now you can look upon your mom and sister with all the love pouring down upon them as they grieve your departure from their lives. Goodbye, sweet one.
Love, prayers and sympathy to you and Allegra on the loss of your beloved Ruby.
I’m so sorry for your loss of your sweet Ruby.
So sorry to hear of your terrible dreadful loss
Oh Ingrid, this is so sad. It brings back the debilitating memories I have of all my furrbabies who have passed over the last 60+ years. I know your pain and sorrow and we both know that we will again be joined with those we’ve lost at the Rainbow Bridge at some time known only to God.
R.I.P. Ruby. Fly high little angel and make lots and lots of new friends on the other side of Rainbow Bridge.
So sorry to read of your terrible terrible dreadful loss.
I’m truly so very sorry to hear of your loss of that beautiful girl, Ruby. I know that horrible feeling of loss. She was lucky to have had you as her mother even though it was for only 8 years. I’m thinking of you.
I’m sorry .
Oh Ingrid. I’m so sorry. I don’t shed many tears for little ones I don’t personally know, but I shed a tear for Ruby. Take comfort in knowing that Ruby had a wonderful home with you and Allegra. Time may heal our hearts when we lose a pet but there’s always a little piece of our hearts missing. Sending you much love, Margaret xx
Ingrid, I’m so sorry. It’s so hard to say goodbye to them. They become such an intimate part of our daily lives, and are silent witnesses to all our joys and sorrows. Thank you for holding her close and giving her the ultimate kindness of letting her go before her life became unbearable. She was fortunate to have you and Allegra to love her.
Awww Ingrid, I am so so sorry:(
My heart started to pound when I read your first few words, that popped up on the iPad. Gosh I’m so sorry. I know and feel your sadness and grieving, Please take good care of yourself. Your darling feline girl is with God, and I believe that she is also with many other felines,
With sadness for you and Allegra, but also sending much love from Ontario Canada, I want you to know that I will be thinking about you.
Di
I couldn’t believe what I was reading. We all hope we have longer with our sick babies and it ends way too soon. Ruby looks like my Nakomi who had an aggressive cancer so all this hits very close to home and has me in tears for both of us. I am so very sorry…..I know how much it hurts.
“What greater gift than the love of a cat?” (Charles Dickens)
I’m so sorry for your loss of sweet Ruby. Only those who have lost a cat know the devotion and love cats give to us. I am grateful for every day I have with my 19 year old cat Maggie. She has become even closer to me as she has gotten older. Treasure your memories of this sweet kitty.
My heart is breaking for you Ingrid. When I saw the first few words of your e-mail, my heart stopped. I was praying that I was wrong with what you were sending. Unfortunately I wasn’t. I feel your hurt, and I’m grieving right along with you. When I read your e-mail, I could NOT stop crying. I’m sure rhat Allegra will be looking for Ruby if she hasn’t: done it already. Fly free sweet Ruby. Soar with the angels. No more hurting for you, sweet girl. My heart is shattered into a million pieces. You were loved sweet Ruby…..you were LOVED.
So so sorry to read about this, Ingrid. My heart breaks again, even as i recall my own experience. I hope your lifetime of precious memories with Ruby will carry you through and give you strength and comfort. Run free Ruby.