In Memoriam, the ephemeral Miss Catgela "Softshoe" Lanspurry

This is the last video I have of her, the last image I want to remember - purring in my arms during a vet hospital visit. After a short 4 and a half years, her heart suddenly gave out, and within a week of noticing her symptoms, she was gone.

She is survived by her brother, Tiger Shark, who loved her possibly more than me. Definitely more than she loved him, I was her first love.

She was beautiful, soft, outgoing, she was the platonic ideal of a cat.

Like her namesake she was sweet, elegant, feisty, and loved by all.

She was an incredibly patient big sister, as well, and was an amazing foster carer when I had to "bring my work" home with me while I was at the animal shelter.

She found her safe place on my shoulders, and would hang around my neck for hours, only briefly waking to nuzzle my cheeks.

She would make funny faces all the time, and loved when I pulled her face back. I think she knew she was funny, or at least enjoyed when I laughed.

Congestive heart failure took her. I noticed last week she wasn't eating, when she normally loves food, and was lethargic and cold.

I took her to the vet for some bloodwork, they gave her some fluids and an appetite stimulant, and sent her back home awaiting results.

Though she came back around for a few days, she crashed again after not even a week, and I rushed her to emergency.

She spent the night, was diagnosed with heart failure and had fluid in her chest - she went through the same procedure I had years ago when I was hospitalized with swine flu to drain it. I can see the vet's demeanor changed when I told her I knew the procedure.

She was released and able to come home for one day, but her condition didn't improve. Her breathing was strained, she wouldn't eat, and the moment I found her barely conscious and freezing cold I knew that was it.

She fell asleep in my arms in a quiet hospital room, and then her enlarged, fatigued heart stopped.

I will never forget her. She came into my life at the beginning of the worst period in my life, and carried me through with love. Just love.

I brought your body back home so your brother could understand what happened to you. He looked over your tiny, limp body, and knew. He hadn't eaten in a couple days in solidarity with you. Or maybe he just didn't know how to eat without you stealing his food.

My girl, forever. I'll never forget you. I hope one day I can think of you and only smile, that you'll never fade away. I hope that I'll see you in my dreams, once or twice more.

If you've made it this far, please consider donating to your local (reputable) animal shelter, they are always in desperate need, and animals like my girl come in all the time. If you have a pet, please love them extra. Though they are with us a very short time of our lives, we are with them their entire life.

Edit: Hitting front page is bittersweet, I suppose. I keep rereading this post and crying, and getting annoyed with my own writing, evidently oscillating between stages of grief.

Tiger Shark is anxious and keeps getting acting like he saw something. He will need a new friend soon.