Early in the morning of 2 November, Cleo left us. It’s been a week, but we’re still adjusting. I kind of didn’t want to write another post, but it feels wrong to give Piper a send-off, but not Cleo.
Cleo was a rescue kitten who picked us. We were visiting an adoption centre to see her. After a bit of a cuddle, we put her down to have a think, but she meowed to call us back. There were no doubts. We signed the adoption papers and whisked her home.
There’s no point in rehashing details, but it was most likely a snake bite that claimed her. Cleo had been spending quite a bit of time roaming the area around the house looking for Piper. We live next to the river, and have seen a snake before. I came home on Wednesday to find Cleo half in the gutter. I’ll never forget the sound she made when she realised I had found her.
We rushed her to the SASH. They took the best care of Cleo we could ask for, but in the end, she is still gone.
I have taken losing Cleo much harder than I did Piper. She was always such smooch bucket with me. I’ll miss the way she’d stand on my chest and manically give me face rubs. Her lips didn’t seal properly, so she’d leave me covered in her drool. She was never as sociable as Argent or Apollo, but the fact that she chose us, and chose to stay with us, despite having a hard start to life made her so very special.
It was Cleo that clued us in to the secret that guarantees your cat to eat her dinner: BBQ chicken. After a couple days of not being particularly engaged with her food, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try something new. From the moment the chicken was out of the bag, I knew we were on a winner. Those first few weeks, she’d literally climb my leg to get to her meal. She also loved tinned tuna, but nothing would ever beat freshly cooked chicken breast.
Cleo adored other cats. From the moment she set eyes on Apollo, she made it her mission to melt his heart. For the first time in his life, Apollo had a cat that actually loved him. (Argent hadn’t minded him, but she had lost interest in kittens by the time he came along, and she was very much a Daddy’s Girl). And when we brought Piper home, there was no separating the two of them. We were very much a family together.
There’s so much more to say about Cleo, but I think it best to keep some of that locked away for myself. My dearest Cleo, it was far too soon for you to leave us. I hope that you found your baby sister, and that you and Piper are curled up in a sunny patch somewhere.