DAISY - aka ‘Daisall’ aka “Big Girl”
2001-2014
Back in 2001, on a farm southeast of Iowa City, a cute gray kitten was born. My mother, Sally, took a liking to this little bundle of fur. Mom had said she didn’t want another cat after having to let the last one go……but there was something special about this little kitty, and soon “little” Daisy came home with her. Mom and Daisy had a wonderful relationship. A two-peas-in-a-pod type of connection. Daisy was always at Mom’s side and a constant cuddler who also LOVED to be brushed. Whenever I visited Daisy, I pulled out that brush and she came running. Daisy was a tad temperamental…but I seemed to be included in her small circle of friends. One day a little over six years ago, Mom left the house with Daisy gazing out the french door windows (oh, how she yearned to go outside)…and Mom never returned. My heart went out to Daisy since no one could explain to her why her constant cuddle companion never came home that day. (Mom passed away in April, 2008). Mom and I had a kinship with our cat companions. Mom loved to visit my kids and I loved visiting Daisy. So it was a no-brainer for me to bring Daisy home to live with me at that point and include her as my “fourth child” in my household of three “kids”. When I “adopted” Daisy, I also grabbed that special brush she loved so much, and brushed her often to her total enjoyment. We quickly developed that same cuddle companion relationship she had with Mom. Daisy even learned how to go out on my deck to “stretch and plop” and enjoy the sunshine outside. I started calling her as “Daisall” – a combination of Daisy and Sally. By now, this little kitty back in 2001 had developed quite the pouch and ‘girth’ and I gave her another nickname - ‘Big Girl’. A couple of years ago, I brought home a new “kid” and that kind of disrupted the ‘harmony’ in this household for Daisall. But after her surgery in July 2014 to remove a large cancerous lump on her left shoulder, we redeveloped that cuddle-kinship and all was right with the cat-world again. That is, until Friday September 5, 2014. When I arrived home from work, it was obvious that Daisy was not well and in distress. I took her to an emergency vet clinic in the Quad Cities without a second thought. A call from the vet around 11pm basically said Daisy had serious issues that indicated I was going to be faced with “the decision”. I made plans to regretfully make that decision and give my Daisall one last good brushing, but then I got another call around 1am….Daisall had left this earth for the Rainbow Bridge and I hope and pray Mom was there to meet her. I returned to the QC on Saturday morning to pick up her body for a proper burial, but not before a proper ‘brushing’.
Rest in Peace my sweet Daisall…I will miss you beyond words!! I’ve lost another last connection with my mother, but knowing that you and she are reunited again fills my heart with joy!!
Special thanks to The Weasel for the actual picture of Daisy photoshopped into Jesus' loving arms.