Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our senior kitty Dizzy.

She’s been a part of our family since she was just under a year old if I remember right. She was born in 2004, and was our furry family member that lived the longest.

We often had to rush to shut a window as she trotted down the garden with various little creatures she’d caught. The most memorable was a rabbit that wasn’t much smaller than she was. (On this occasion the rabbit survived).

Another occasion I watched as she stalked a cock pheasant, a fully mature cock pheasant. Like a proper mighty hunter, she used a flower border to sneak along, ears flat, until it was the right time to launch. She didn’t expect the pheasant to charge at her! That was the only time I knew her to run from a fight. It also lead to her never going near our chickens when we had them!

Another favourite pastime of hers was to hide in our old cherry tree, and pounce on my mum when she walked under it! The tree started dying and my mum was saved the aerial assaults!

I was her chosen human. For many years she all but lived in my room. During the day she’d lay at the button of the bed, and at night she’d lay by my head, or on my chest with her tail flipping across my face. Normally while I was trying to watch a movie.

When I moved out for a short time she decided my mum was her human and as she got older and older she’d spend as much time as she could curled up or stretched out on my mums lap.

When I moved back home she ignored me for some time, but I was forgiven although she spent more time downstairs with my folks. She’s still come up and make herself comfy on my bed. She’s still loved it when I picked her up and rubbed behind her ears, leaning in with so much force she’d almost fall.

Dizzy adored playing with a piece of string. She’d chase, and wrap herself around it for hours if she could. Up to a few years ago she was doing this.

She was always a bit on the grumpy side, she didn’t really accept other animals. Our dog Pacey joined our family shortly after she did, and they had an understanding, or should I say, Dizzy ruled the roost! If she was sitting in the hallway he wouldn’t walk past her. One memory of the two that always jumps to mind is one Sunday I was writing a blog post at the start of the day. Dizzy, was sat on the arm of the chair like she often did when she’d given up trying to sit on my laptop. Pacey was out for the count on the floor, quite happy and oblivious to the fact that he farted. Unfortunately it was one that could clear a room! I said aloud, “Pacey, wow,” but I kept typing. The next I know I’ve seen Dizzy’s nose twitch, and then she shook her head, seemed be offended and stropped off.

When I was at my desk writing she would often sit on my lap, I’ve got no end of pictures of her like this. Most times she’d sit and accept fusses as I thought over what I was working on, other times she’d spend an hour walking across the keyboard, demanding fusses, and then strop off.

After Pacey passed away we left it a while before getting another dog. I think Dizzy missed Pacey, they had an understanding and I think there was some affection there. When we got Max, boy that didn’t go down well, to say Dizzy sulked was an understatement! But like with Pacey she put Max in his place. Then we got Raven, and she really wasn’t happy with that, although it was sweet watching them trying to better the other at hinting!

One day I was playing fetch with Raven, throwing a toy ball down the upstairs hallway and she’d chase it and bring it back. We’d done this maybe four or five times when all of a sudden a black and white paw shot out of the bathroom, smacking Raven out of nowhere. I’m not sure who was more surprised, me or Raven. Dizzy walked out with a swagger.

Dizzy was never really accepting of other animals in the house, they had to keep out of her way, but when we got Callie Dizzy had a bit of a shock, because Callie didn’t have a concept for personal space. She run past Dizzy, wasn’t scared to have a cheeky sniff once in a while, and we spent months herding Callie away from Dizzy’s dinner, although there was hissing and growling from Dizzy, but other times she’d let Callie share her dinner.

When Luna came to our home Dizzy had already accepted the others but we still got the odd dirty look. She did hiss at them when they got too close, Max never learnt to heed those warnings and got the odd swipe in his direction.

The last few years Dizzy has slowed down, she’s lost a fair amount of weight, she lost her hearing and stopped going outside as much. When she did go outside she’d go out, have a mooch around, roll in the dirt, sunbath a little and then would ask to come back in.

She still had a healthy appetite, kept herself well groomed and although slowly down there were times when she’d have these spurts of energy. She’d jump like she hadn’t down for years, or run along the hallway. Maybe torment Max a little.

The last month, six weeks or so she declined. Her coat started looking disheveled, she was more vocal, meowing loudly when she saw one of us (I think her sight was starting to go too as she’d stop meowing once someone got closer to her).

Even though we knew it was coming it has still hit us hard. She was one of the best, and I’m glad she was part of our lives for as long as she was. I hope we gave her a happy life, she certainly seemed to be content here.

The hardest part of loving our furry family is that they can’t be with us for our whole lives, but we are often there for theirs, making it a good life is the least we can do for them.

I’m going to miss you Dizzy.