Bank of Holly Springs

Goodbye Wink

Close to Nowhere Remy Collins

I have a guest columnist this week. My youngest granddaughter Remy is, in my humble opinion, a very talented writer, among her myriad of talents. Her oldest cat, Wink, somewhere in her late teens, passed away recently and she wrote the following:

Wink

When we first brought you home in the kennel, you bit Mom. You would hide under the bed in Mere’s room with Smeagle and claw at our feet. Your bath time was a scene from an ’80s horror film. You would bite and scratch when you didn’t want to be petted, and did the same when you wanted attention.

The older you became, the grouchier you became. Big dogs cowered at your feet. You treated new kittens like monsters. You hated everything, but loved making us mad. You would purposely sit on black or white clothes just so your hair would be attached to us. I would always find your hair in my food. You were so annoying. You ate the hair off parts of your body when you were upset.

Then Smeagle (an even older cat) died .... and we knew a part of you went with her...

You weren’t the same Wink we brought home.... you became somewhat needier... if that is even the right term for it.... you would glue yourself to our laps and would just annoy the ever living stew out of us.

Then you began to act even more strange....

You threw up.... your eyes would get gunked up.... and then.... you couldn’t walk.... you looked sick... we gave you fluid to make you more comfortable... but we knew what you were trying to tell us....

We all had our ups and (mainly) downs with you.... but if I look past all the bad..... I see you were the best cat ever.... well.... maybe not THE best....

We tried to get a paw print from you... but you were so dang hairy we couldn’t get a decent print... and, like many other things, it made you upset. We spent our last few minutes holding you and petting you.... I know you were hurting.... but we couldn’t make you live in your own waste and watch the rest of your life go by in a slow, painful film....

It hurt letting you go.... but I know you’re not hurting anymore.... if there is a heaven for cats I’m sure you would be in hell....

We love you Wink.... you were the best/worst cat we ever had the pleasure and burden of having....

I know I’m going to still find your dang hair in my food....

P.S. Crying about that dang cat again.

Holly Springs South Reporter

P.O. Box 278
Holly Springs, MS 38635
PH: (662) 252-4261
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