Cat Memorial: Ruthie Ruby

by Sarah Groeneveld
(Grand Rapids, MI)

Ruth, she was born around Dec. 15, 2007. She was rescued from under our house 3 years ago.

It was a cold April day and she was trying to get warm. My husband noticed her going in through a hole in the side of the foundation.

He came in the house and told me there was a yella (his words) cat in the crawl space. He went into the closet where the crawl space was and crawled in and got her in the house.

She was so very skinny but long. I thought maybe she was 4 months old. I took her in the bathroom to clean her up.

She spotted my other 2 kitties (Morgan, black and white tuxedo, age:7 years old and Agatha, grey diluted calico age:1 year). She didn't hiss or growl, she did make a "hmmm" noise.

My 2 were curious and followed me in the bathroom. I gave Ruthie a bath and I found no fleas or any sign of disease or injury. A little scratch on her nose where my hubby bumped her on the log floor joists.

She was scared and had her claws in the log and it was a tight squeeze. Other than that, she seemed fine, despite needing much needed food in her empty tummy.

I dried her off and she purred for me. I decided she is going to be my baby. I actually thought she was a boy until 3 months later she gave birth to kittens.

She had 6 but none survived the birth. I decided I was going to name her Ruthie, 'cause I liked that name and Ruby after my dad's birthstone.

When I called her by her new name (was roo yella kat) she came to me. Sadly, she passed this year on Oct. 09, 2011. She went to alert my hubby and step grandson to something and my she bolted out of the door and into the street where she was hit by a car.

I had the most wonderful 3 years with her. When she passed away in my arms, she actually kinda moved her eyes and looked at me.

I kissed her on her cheek when she gave her last breath, she also gave me a very weak purr, before she went limp and had no fight left in her.

I was so very devastated and very, very heartbroken. Not only did I lose a companion and friend, I also lost a child.

I had gotten another kitty named Stanley, who was rescued from our current apartment. He was her buddy. They were peanut butter and jelly. She was friends with Morgan and Aggie, but he was her buddy.