Cat in a million: Archie came back
Cat in a million
Clare Hurst, from Heckmondwike
My %engal cat Archie was the light of my life – he was so talkative and full of energy and affection. 0y husband Sean and I also have another cat, Smokey. The pair were the best of friends and had always been happy and healthy – but Must before &hristmas, we noticed Archie wasn’t eating.
:e took him to the vet, and they did some tests before giving us the bad news.
Archie had cancer.
I was absolutely heartbroken.
He was given pills to ease the pain, and all I could do then was make sure the time he had left was special.
I knew I had to stay strong for his sake.
I spent as much time as I could with him, taking photos of me and him together, putting one of my crowns on him as I’m a beauty Tueen – 0iss 8nited Kingdom Rose. He looked so cute but he wasn’t impressed at all
Sharing these precious moments with him was amazing.
I started to hope that he might be improving – but all of a sudden things took a turn for the worse. He started having stomach pain and struggling to go to the toilet. All he wanted to do was curl up on the sofa ne[t to me – he wasn’t his usual lively self at all.
Getting worse
:e took him back to the vets, to be told the cancer had spread through his body. They upped his medication but warned us that if it got worse, we couldn’t let him suffer.
I was so devastated that I even gave up doing my appearances for my pageant.
I had to be there for Archie. He was eating and drinking, but could hardly walk and go to toilet. I knew we’d have to let him go.
:hen the day came, the clock ticked slowly round to pm – time to take him to the vet.
µ*oodbye Archie,’ I said, breaking down in tears. I felt like my heart had broken in two.
0y parents took Archie to the vet while I did my best to calm down. I decided to have an early night, see if that would ease the pain.
I woke up in the middle of the night to see that my blanket seemed to be moving on its own. I blinked – and there was a shadowy body lying there.
It was Archie
He’d always loved sleeping on my blanket.
After a while, he faded away. I woke Sean up, told him what I’d seen.
I was crying, but this time there was happiness among the tears, because Archie had come back in spirit to be with us again. He knew he was loved.
I miss him with every heartbeat, but I know he’s still with us, and that’s what’s important.
There was a shadow on my blanket