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Saturday, October 8, 2011

Tragedy at the Kitty House (warning--extremely sad)

Well everyone, this event was kind of what started off my non-blogging streak.  I have so much wanted to share it with you, but the pain was so raw, I really couldn't bring myself to.  But somehow I was "stuck" on it, and felt like it was so important, I had to put it in here.  But I couldn't.

DH, on his new Abilify, was out of bed and (wonder of wonders), doing laundry.  I was sleeping (I go to bed at about 9pm on nights when I don't have to work at the group home).  I was happy.  More like thrilled.  DH was trying, and he was helping.

At about 2am DH woke me up, panicked.  "Carol, it's Tippy Toes, she's in the dryer".  I was asleep, so it didn't register with me at first.  "Carol, Tippy Toes is dead."

Tippy Toes, one of the more adventurous and mischievous kitties, and also a slender and dainty little girl, had somehow gotten into the dryer while DH had the dryer door open but was not paying attention.  DH had loaded up the dryer with a full load of wet clothes and run the dryer.

He heard strange noises, and opened the dryer to check, but didn't see anything unusual, so he started it back up.  He didn't find her until the load was done.

OMG, OMG.....it was surreal.  I couldn't bring myself to imagine what she must've gone through.  And DH, he was absolutely beside himself with guilt.  I tried to tell him that it could have just as easily been me, but he was just despondent.  And I can honestly say that I was, too.  In shock, disbelief.

I've been aware of the danger of cats and clothes dryers for years.  And in all those years, I've never even had a concern, as our cats never seemed interested in the dryer until Tippy Toes. 

We both cried and cried and remembered her and felt awful.  I felt awful, and DH felt worse.  I've never lost a cat to a preventable accident before, it's much more heartbreaking than losing one to cancer or kidney failure--oh the guilt. 

And the dryer.  I can barely bring myself to use it.  And DH hasn't touched it since.  We are looking for a new dryer on Craigslist (a free or extremely cheap one) because of the association of the current dryer, and because it doesn't run right any more now.

I buried Tippy Toes in the back yard.  DH couldn't bear to be a part of burying her.  He still can't think about her without tearing up.  I'm crying as I write this.

R.I.P. Tippy Toes, we loved you very much, and we're so sorry.

 

4 comments:

Miss Kitty said...

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!! Carol, I am SO SORRY to hear about this! Poor Tippy-Toes! [heart breaks] You must be devastated. Oh, oh, oh.

And poor DH, too...OMGOMGOMG! He must feel SO awful...it was just an accident. An awful, terrible, horrible accident.

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I've lost kitties in sudden ways too, some of which were my fault yet an accident...and it's just awful for the kitties and for their people.

You, DH, & the memory of Tippy-Toes are in my thoughts and prayers. (((HUGS)))

Miz Kizzle said...

That's awful. You love your cats so much. It's not like the episodes of Hoarders where the cleaning crew finds a dead cat squashed under a pile of garbage and the homeowner says, "Oh! There's Fluffy; we thought he ran away."
Other than the cat tragedy, is everything okay with you?

Anonymous said...

Dear Carol, I am so sorry for your loss, I knew something was bad when you weren't blogging. Just so sorry. Take care.
- Daisy in AZ

Robin said...

((((HUGS))))