Up until a week ago, Tiny looked absolutely amazing for her age, but last Sunday, she suddenly took a turn for the worse and was having a very hard time walking. She had become thin with age, but her breath became awful and she was very dehydrated even though she was eating and drinking regularly up until the day before. On Monday we took her to the vet where the doctor found that Tiny's kidneys were failing. They kept her for 2 nights giving her an infusion to rehydrate her, but the prognosis was not good. We brought her home on Wednesday with the sad hopes that she would cross the bridge on her own in the night at home, surrounded by Elioth, Chouchou, Ellwood and Ginger...and of course us, but she was a Tiny Mighty girl to the end and just held on despite no longer being able to walk at all and being paper thin. On Thursday, we took her back to the vet and helped her across the bridge.
Tiny was 20 years, 2 months and 1 day old.
As she left this world for a better one, I asked Tiny to occasionally send me greetings...be they in the sound of the wind blowing through the trees; the colors of a sunset; the song of a bird; in a shooting star on summer's night; in a beautiful flower or in the smell of an Autumn day. And as she faded away I cried. When we left the vet, it was horribly cold and gray, but suddenly when we neared home, the sun broke through the clouds and gray and the sky became a wonderful blue. That evening, the full moon (or nearly) came out so INCREDIBLY beautiful...surrounded by clouds as such that it appeared golden. These were Tiny's gifts, already sending me her greetings from the other side of the bridge. Thank you, dear, sweet, wonderful Tiny.
I am sure that Lautrec/Lolo is on the other side and that the two of them are now catching up on all that has happened since he crossed the bridge 3 years ago (yes, already so long ago). I imagine he is already trying to give her the bitey...hehe.
We buried Tiny in the garden near Lautrec. We wrapped her in one of my wool sweaters with the sleeves gently knotted around her so she will always feel me hugging her. On her grave, we lined up stones in the shape of a big heart.
RIP Tiny...heaven's newest angel.
(one of the last photos taken of Tiny before her health completely declined)
