I’m pretty sure all of us will answer this question with an immediate and emphatic “no! Of course not!” I know I did. Allegra is my heart, and I love her more than I love anyone or anything else on this earth. But actually, this is a topic I’ve been thinking about quite a bit lately, especially as Allegra is getting older and dealing with multiple health issues.
Caring for a senior cat brings up such a mix of emotions. In addition to the logistics of caring for Allegra’s physical needs, there’s the ever present fear of wondering how much time we will have left together. But at the same time, I find that this time is also a very special time, intensifying and deepening our connection.
I’m blessed that I work from home and can spend as much time with Allegra as I choose, and I find myself limiting social engagements, especially on days when she doesn’t seem quite right. Thankfully, so far those days are few and far between, but I still find myself very conscious of the fact that she’s not going to live forever. I want the time we have together be meaningful and joyful for both of us.
Love & Above Cat Club founder Siena Lee Tajiri expressed much of what I’ve been thinking about beautifully in a blog post titled “Do you take your cat for granted? Bids for connection, loving your cat and loving yourself.” In this post, she shares how taking care of her cat Bear took her on a journey of taking better care of herself.
She realized that as much as she loves Bear, his bids for connection often get lost in busy lives and daily routines. As she started working on her own energy, and paying more attention to how Bear asked for connection, everything shifted for her and for Bear.
I encourage you to read Siena’s post. I promise you, it will make you look at your relationship with your cat in a slightly different light, and maybe even provide some “aha!” moments.
I know it’s refocused me even more on not taking even a minute of my time with Allegra for granted.
Click here to read Do you take your cat for granted? Bids for connection, loving your cat and loving yourself.
Phot of Bear ©Siena Lee-Tajiri, used with permission
Thanks for sharing.
We’ve been rescuing feral cats since around November 2004. At that time, we had two pet cats. Like all feral cat rescuers around here, we rescued more. At one point, we had 38 kitties! The first pregnant semi-feral kitty, Jasmine, had four beautiful kittens: Eden, Savannah, Neptune and Charkey. My longtime boyfriend said “We are not adopting anyone out unless they adopt the whole family.” So, we kept them all and I rescued a singleton, Gilligan a few months after I rescued the pregnant Jasmine. Jasmine was one of our best cat moms. The boys, Neptune and Charkey were “Mama’s boys” and Jasmine let Neptune pretend to nurse when he was 12 years old. We had to send Charkey on March 14, 2024 to the Rainbow Bridge. He was 10 days shy of being 17 years old. He was one of just two kitties that my boyfriend was not there when they were pts. When Charkey had the IV in that they put the sedative through, he reached his paw out of the cat bed and blankie and put it on my arm as if to say “it’s ok. I’ll see you one day.’
We lost four cats in 2024! Adonis (gorgeus snowshoe) went to the Rainbow Bridge on January 21, 2024. He was 15 years 8 months and was suddenly diagnosed with lymphoma. No symptoms until the end when he seemed lethargic for a few days. He was part of a HUGE family I rescued in 2008-2009. I rescued two sister Moms (Ciara and Madison) and each had FIVE kittens (Licorice, Adonis, Duncan, Spencer and Chelsea and Milo, Riley, Jackson, Riley and Celeste). We only adopted out 4 kittens of 10 in pairs. I rescued the two feral tomcats who were the fathers, and then the Grandparents of the kittens (Angelique and Tyler) and their last litter (Colby and Sophie). The only one’s still alive from this huge group are Sophie (she’s 15 years 5 months and will not let anyone pet her but her cat friend Ivy that she thinks she is related to) and Spencer (16 years 10 months).
I rescued several more cat moms with kittens and more feral tomcats who were very feral and turned into lovebugs. Some were 6-8 years old when rescued and they tamed themselves. Taking care of so many cats, I didn’t have time to tame these feral tomcats.
When the Campfire happened up in Paradise, CA in November 2018, I went up there 19 times from January -March 2019 (6 hour round trip) to help a cat owner who was too stoned to look for her own 15 year old cat. I feel bad I never found her, but the pros were up there and they saw her one time after the fires. I spent thousands on a feeding station with premium wet and dry food. I think the bears got some of it too. For a month, I would go to a Tiny Embers Kitten Rescue that had cages of Campfire cats and I would clean 100 cages and feed them all. it got closed down due to an outbreak of panleukopenia.
Now, we only have eight kitties and five of them are 15 years to almost 17 years. Four boys and four girls. The boys love me, and the girls seem to hate me for getting them spayed when they were 4 months old. Well, one I adopted and they spayed her. My longtime boyfriend can pet all the girls but Sophie (no one can pet her). I still go to the soccer park to feed a few ferals (Finnegan mainly and some owned cats), and since we rescued the whole park over the years…we don’t have many newcomers. I used to go every night, but I have 4 herniated discs with pain down both legs, numbness, tingling, etc and I’ve been walking on crutches for almost 6 months because of it. On March 14, 2025, a lady rear-ended my car on Hwy 80 and it’s totalled. The chiropractor with the ‘decompression tables” I’ve been paying to go on for months said ” You need someone running into you like you need another butthole.” I thought I didn’t get injured, but the next day and the last two weeks, Ive had tinglingand numbness down both arms and I’m walking slower on the crutches. I now go every 3-4 nights to the soccer park and it’s like 1-2 am when the cats will show up. There was a new fluffy orange one who looks to be 7-8 months old a few nights and it might be owned by someone. My boyfriend said “No more cats…we need to get down to none.” I think he might ned to go after 25 years….. LOL. i bought a 2022 Nissan Rogue Sport sight unseen last Saturday and it looks so big to me inside, and I think of how many kitties can fit in the back seat.
Anyway, I cry several times a week remembering all the formerly feral kitties we’ve lost and we have them all privately cremated and need a mauseleum for all the wood and angel cat urns. I wish I could go to the Rainbow Bridge and visit them.
Thank you for sharing your story, Tamara. What an amazing person you are! There is a special place in heaven for people like you, that’s for sure.
My poor Tasha is failing at 14 years old. Pancreatitis was treated a year ago. Have her on meds daily for appetite and pain meds. She started having loose grey colored liquid stools in small amounts and appetite is very diminished. Took her to the vet yesterday and labs were done. She usually sleeps with me at night next to my pillow. She is sleeping a lot more. I just don’t want her to suffer. I am spending as much time as I can with her. She is my life. I know that time is short.
It’s such a hard time when they start to fail. I’m sending lots of love and hugs, Theresa!
THANK YOU. HUGS TO YOU TOO.
This is the first morning in almost seventeen years that I have not been greeted by our beloved Tazmanian. Saying goodbye yesterday to this dearly Beloved was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Even through the difficult journey of his later years, he was a Great Teacher in Resilience, Joy, and Boundless Love.
Oh Amy, I’m so sorry! My heart goes out to you.
Siena’s post was definitely an eye opener for me as well. All of the stress I have been going through is affecting my cats as well.