Mabel was one of my breeding Queens, she came to me at 10 weeks old, a
lovely little blue tortie.
When she was pregnant with her first litter I was selling two kittens from
another litter to a couple who lived 15 minutes away from me, they came out
often to visit their fur kids while they were growing up, Dave the male
slave was cat mad, he had been owned by Burmese previously his wife Joan was
a dog person (she had bred dogs and was a dog show judge) she quickly fell
in love with the two kittens, Emily and Jazmin, but Dave was besotted, he
asked to see my other cats, he loved my Mabel, she made such a fuss of him,
he said I will have this one too, no you can't have her she is one of my
breeders and she is pregnant, that doesn't matter he said. Every time they
came out to look and play with their babies he also went out to Mabel.

Eventually they took Emily and Jazmin home, we became firm friend, visiting
each other often.

Sometime later (probably a year) I got a phone call from a very distraught
man, I couldn't make head nor tail of what he was saying but manage to
gather that his cat had been in an accident, it was Dave, the love of his
life had been hit by a car and killed, he was crying I was crying, there was
almost a divorce in his family as he blamed Joan, I tried to calm him down
and then I couldn't believe what I was saying but said would you like Mabel,
really, would you give her to me, I feel better already. Then I fretted had
I done the right thing, I had not intended for her to leave but felt
compelled to help ease his pain.

I wanted her to have another litter (she had only had the one) so next day I
rang and spoke to both Joan and Dave, asked how would they feel if I mated
Mabel before they picked her up, they could bring the kittens up until they
were weaned, they could also have their choice from the litter, both were
over the moon at the prospect.

Fast forward a few years - Mabel had been sick on and off, throwing up for
no apparent reason, they had tests done, went to different vets, they were
very good cat slaves tried different foods with limited success, it all came
to a head 5 weeks ago when she had another bout of illness, was hospitalised
for 13 days, more tests then an operation, at this time Dave was also in and
out of hospital, everytime Joan visited him he would ask about "his" girl.

This morning Joan phoned me, Mabel has been throwing up again and can't keep
anything down, she phoned the vet to get the latest test results it appears
that for years she has suffered an allergy of some sort that has ruined her
gut and the food is only going so far down and can't go any further, it sits
there for a few days and then comes back up again, she is starving to death,
her insides are all scared, Joan has made the heart breaking decision to
have her put to sleep tomorrow. Dave is back in hospital having an operation
today, she hadn't told him the latest this morning, I talked her into taking
Mabel out to see him, I know he will be absolutely gutted at the  news, but
feel he would want to see her.

My heart aches for them. Mabel is 10 years old.

They still have Emily and Jelly who is Mabel's son that they kept from the
litter they had way back when they first got Mabel.

Sorry this is so long but needed to get it off my chest.

Purrs for Mabel's soul.

Lois