Mom said she had never known loyalty in a cat until she had seen Harley with me. She was my shadow for nearly 14 years, and in her time with me, she loved me fiercely and singly. Last week, we had to make the difficult decision to help her pass peacefully. I've been moving between devastation and relief. It was the right choice, but that didn't make it any easier or hurt any less. I will always miss her, and while I know there will be more cats in my life, I don't know that there will be another one bonded to me as closely as she was. My heart's not in drawing comics this week, and I'm traveling the following week, so I'm taking a couple of weeks off. I'll be back soon, and thanks for your understanding. Hug your fuzzy family members extra for me.
13 thoughts on “Memorial”
Potatamoto
I’m so sorry. She seemed like a wonderful cat.
SurlyQueen
She really was, I’ve never had an animal that loved me the way she did.
daemongirl
*hugs* I’m sorry. It sucks to say good-bye.
SurlyQueen
It really does, and thanks for the hugs.
Ale-8-One Ohmu
My family offers our deepest sympathies. We’ve lost two kitties in the last few years, one anticipated by age the other quite sudden. Both hurt like hell. Your Harley had a good life (when her servants behaved appropriately) and knew she was loved. She can rest, and you can move on…. WHEN you are ready. Crying is allowed. Excessive sharing of memories is encouraged, particularly the touching and hilarious ones. Listen to Xena when she falls in love with a kitten a few months from now. But ONLY the first kitten, unless you want to make a career change to running an extensive pet foster home.
SurlyQueen
There has been pleeeeenty of crying ^_^; Harley’s passing was both sudden and not. She had been diagnosed with kidney disease a few weeks prior, which is fairly common in cats, but can sometimes be managed, but took a rapid decline. I know there will be more cats in my life, but I’ll always miss this one. Perhaps more than most because of how closely bonded she was to me. Thanks for the kind words.
JerryW
Ah, Wendy, been there myself and I do so sympathise.
SurlyQueen
Thank you <3
Friendly Frankenstein
Thank you for sharing so much of your time with Harley with us. A wonderful little life well lived.
SurlyQueen
She did live well, and I’m glad to know she brought joy to many others too.
Karen
I’m so sorry! Lots of love going your way.
Katerly
I am so sorry to hear that! My husband and I quote “You’re so gross!” to our cats all the time after we read that strip where you were cleaning where she rubbed her face daily. That strip also made me check out the spots they rub on daily and..yep. I’m sorry for your loss.
Jorsh
We, too, lost a kitty cat (and her name legitimitely was Marlee, as contrived as that sounds here…) who was somehow humanish friends with me. The poor dear got bone cancer in her leg which we caught and gave her a new 3-legged lease on life until it sporadically came back in her spine. We lost her a few months before I started reading your strip (Oct 2023). Your ponderance if you’ll ever have another cat that close struck a chord with me, as that’s how I feel with her. I know it has been a couple years for you, but I just wanted to say that your comic and Harley in particular rekindled some cherished memories, and a big “thank you” to you and Harley for that.
Sending hugs as I imagine you still miss her, but probably in a different way by now.
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