This Monday I had to put my baby Selina Kyle down. For the past few months her health declined rapidly until she was a very skinny shell of what she once was. I had set the date to put her to sleep Friday, and spent all weekend trying to pretend I wasn't, that everything was going to be okay.
I never had to watch an animal be put to sleep before and it was the hardest thing I ever witnessed even if took less than ten seconds once they injected her. The vet tech was very kind and offered her a comfy blanket to lay on and Selina even purred for us till the end.
I have not been okay at all, I feel sick from how hard I've been crying all weekend, and especially Monday.
But I wanted to make this post to remember how beautiful and wonderful Selina's story is.
A little over ten years ago, when I was working at Wendy's and used a bicycle to get to and from work, I had heard little meowing cries in a bush of ivy off the side of the road. Looking I found two little day old kittens, both completely black, one short haired and one long haired.
I have had enough kittens in my life to know their approximate age and fur type. Since they were screaming, and I couldn't find the mother or any other kittens, and I found they were cool to the touch, I wrapped them up in my uniform and took them home.
I set them up in our laundry room, as I was fairly poor and couldn't afford an incubator and this was the warmest room in the house. I also never had to raise kittens without the mother before, so this was some of the most stressful time of my life. I almost didn't meet my future husband because I kept having to cancel our first date to make sure the babies didn't die.
Selina's sister, Xena, kept having a problem pooping, and I kept having to take her and sometimes Selina in to get them to go. I can't tell you how relieved I was to make it to the three week marker where they started opening their eyes and ears and getting their teeth.
Oddly enough I can't find anymore baby pictures of either of them, but this is Selina trying to escape their little bin I've been raising them in. This little girl even from the first moment I scooped her up has always something to say and I love that her first picture is of her telling me exactly what she thinks.
Sadly I still had to keep postponing meeting my future husband because after the kittens were in a much better position to be left alone for more than a few hours, I ended up getting sick and since both him and I worked part time jobs with ever changing schedules and the holidays had come it was near impossible to get a meet up until after the new years.
During that time my two little munchkins terrorized me in my room, constantly climbing me and playing with both me and each other and sometimes their big sister Zelda (my German Sheppard dog)
At some point, for whatever reason, Xena and Selina didn't like each other much anymore and they weren't the most typical cats I've ever had. They were difficult to play with once they fully matured and didn't like many of the things most cats did, like going into boxes and killing bugs.
Selina loved to snuggle, to head butt (would sometimes try to give you a concussion if you weren't careful lol) and of course talk your ear off. She was sometimes particular and only wanted attention a specific way and would not hesitate to slap you if you didn't meet her requirements. Though I never was the target, I was allowed to do whatever with her.
Whenever I felt bad or sick her and her sister would let go of their feud to lay on me and try to make me feel better.
When she wasn't snuggling me she would always be close and hanging out with me.
When we moved into our own house, she was the first of the two to fully explore everything and be so happy that there wasn't dogs chasing her constantly. (my brother's huskies would chase her and her sister)
and she loved her dad as well even if he was a bit much sometimes lol
I do worry about how her sister is going to be. Even though they stopped getting along, Xena was always first to her aid if she thought Selina was in distress. I'm not sure if she knows her sister is gone yet. This wasn't the first time Selina's health was bad, a few years ago we though she had cancer and she stopped eating. We spent so much money trying to figure out what was wrong with her, and for most of her life she had a cough that sometimes was so bad she'd throw up her food.
But after some steroids to get her to eat, she recovered and lasted way longer than the vet's gave her. She was fat for the first time in her life and she was a very happy kitty. Always with her fluffy tail up high, following people around, always wanting to hang out and be with someone. Always talking, always purring, sometimes a little temperamental but she was a sweetheart and wonderful cat.
I will never forget and never stop loving the wonderful time I had with her. Rest in peace Selina Kyle, you will forever be missed. 09/29/2014 - 05/05/2025
