Stumbling Toward Enlightenment

She was nearly 16 years old. We found her and her brother on the streets of Berkeley, while cycling home from a writers group one night. They were hiding under a truck and were less than a month old. We almost missed Amazon, and were about to leave with her brother, Boca Grande, when we heard a faint hissing sound from under the truck. There she was, this tiny black cat that fit in the palm of my hand, hissing away at us.

It was her way of protecting her brother, which she did throughout her life. When Boca was sick, or injured, he would curl up next to Amazon and she would lick and clean him…surrounding him with her body, giving him a safe place to recuperate.

When we found them, they were so little they didn’t even know how to eat or poop. We feed them with an eye dropper and rubbed their little butts with a cotton swab to stimulate their poop glands. Later we bathed them and they were covered in fleas, which was gross. But they grew and thrived and became our children, living with us through various moves and housing conditions.

As Amazon began to get sicker, Boca would bother her. I’m not sure if he was attacking her, or asking her to come and play. They would still curl up next to each other, or at least in close proximity, every day. When we had to take them both to the vet at the same time, they wrapped themselves around each other.

Boca didn’t see Amazon when she died, and I think he’s missing her. He seems depressed, to be looking for her. I wish I could tell for sure what’s going on in his mind.

We called Rainbow Bridge Vet Services, Dr. Smith, to come and help Amazon pass over. I highly recommend his services, should you need them. Dr. Smith explained everything that would happen to us, and was very gentle and respectful of our feelings. Amazon’s passing was gentle and quick. Thank you Dr. Smith.

I also want to thanks Dr. Cheryl Schwartz for all her care of Amazon over the past year. When we first took Amazon to see her, another vet had given Amazon less than a month to live. Dr. Schwartz treated Amazon and explained the treatments to us. She’s a wonderful, holistic vet. thank you Dr. Schwartz.

I will miss Amazon, but I’m glad she’s no longer suffering.