Squeak: A Day Later

It's 3:55PM GMT on Sunday December 10th as I start writing this post. It has been more than a day since one of my cats - Squeak - passed away and I still feel.. I don't really know how to articulate it.. I guess: empty.

I thought I'd write about what has happened since I published yesterday's post.

First, a lot of my friends have been in touch to offer their condolences. That was very nice of them!

As for Squeak - I kept him wrapped in a towel for most of yesterday morning and into the afternoon. I then looked around for a box to place him in. 

We didn't know what we were going to do with Squeak. One idea was to have him buried in the backyard. I did go out there to look at certain spots - one is where I used to take Spiky, so it would have been a nice area to be fair - but I concluded that, seeing as Squeak was a house cat, I didn't want him outside.

I ultimately decided on a cremation. 

Yesterday evening, we arranged for Squeak to be accepted by the cremation place this morning. I couldn't talk on the phone because I was breaking up so my nephew discussed the options with them. Once I knew what we were doing, I found a perfect cardboard box to keep Squeak in for his final hours at home (and obviously for his journey away from home).

I wanted Squeak to stay in my room last night so I kept the box here. It wouldn't have felt right to me to have him anywhere but where he usually slept for his final time at home.

So, as soon as the cremation place opened at 10AM, we made a phone call and confirmed everything. Once that was sorted, I came back upstairs and reopened the box.

I had a few things I wanted to do.

First, I took off Squeak's collar and then looped it around the handle of the radio that is on the bedside table to my right. That radio is one of the spots where Squeaky liked to sit, so the collar shall stay there.

I then cut an Iceland shopping bag into a 'blanket' and placed it over Squeak's body leaving his head free. The significance being he loved hiding in those Iceland bags and I would oftentimes have to stop him gnawing them. I thought it was a fitting thing to place on Squeak for his final journey.

So, after doing that, I brought Squeak downstairs and let my nephews say their goodbyes before I closed the box for good. 

I smoothed his side one last time before doing so.

My last act as Squeak's owner was to carry him out of the house and to the car. I placed him on the front seat of my nephew's car and said 'Goodbye Squeak' as I patted the box.

And then he really was gone.

For now.

My nephew called a short time later (the cremation place is just outside of my city) and told me how much everything would cost and that Squeak's memorial urn will have a place to put his photograph. I anticipated the need for a photo, so printed out three last night. 

There really is no competition between the three pics, to be fair. I've always preferred the first picture you'll see above. 

It was taken when I was sitting on the sofa with him in my living room as we all watched the concert during the King's Coronation earlier this year. 

The memorial item will be ready sometime next week.

During the phone call, my nephew also told me that the lady commented on how shiny Squeak's coat was and noted how well I must have looked after him. That was comforting to hear. 

And that's really all I can write for now. 

This has been a very crappy experience, but I do appreciate my friends and even the cremation people for their kind words.

I'm now going to press 'Publish', go downstairs and give Oreo a big hug.