Our Sweet Baby Girl ~ Dulcinea

Dulcinea
5 June 2005 ~ 1 August 2021

Death seems to be ever present in our home these days. First Mom, now our beloved Dulcinea.  

The look of death is the same, whether human or animal. And it isn't pretty. It matters not if they died peacefully, that empty look of death is the same - when you know the living soul that dwelt within is no longer present. 

We had the gift of Dulcinea for 16 years.  We chose her (and her sister, Miss Marplestein) from a bunch of feral kittens at a farm. I held them in my arms, singing and bonding with them; telling them how precious they were.  When we brought them home, they were two small, frightened, sickly kittens. But we thought they were beautiful. In fact, Mom was the first person to meet 'our babies'. We were boasting and googling over them. So proud. Later Mom told us she thought they were the saddest looking creatures she had ever seen but didn't have the heart to tell us so. We were in love. And have been since that day on the farm.

Dulcinea was a diva. With an attitude. She was not fond of strangers and clearly showed her displeasure of visitors by simply ignoring them. We had a tough time convincing people that she really was a loving cat, to her humans, her sister, and eventually, to her brother. She loved her Daddy, and she loved sleeping on my chest at night - perfectly content. Dulcinea also loved music. She loved to hear me sing and would come out of hiding, especially when I sang HER song - "Dulcinea, Dulcinea ~ I see heaven when I see thee, Dulcinea. And thy name is like a prayer an angel whispered, Dulcinea, Dulcinea." I first heard that song ages ago and I knew it was the perfect name for a cat. It was the perfect name for our Dulcinea. 

Our girl was diagosed with a thyroid issue about a year ago and has been on medication. She continued to lose weight, even though she became a little piglet, eating almost anything we gave her. We knew her time was near. And just like Mom, she got weaker, lost her appetite, lost her thirst. The look was the same. The expression the same - looking past us, not at us. Yesterday, we held her all day because she simply had no strength to walk. At bedtime she seemed a bit restless, so we put her in her own bed. This morning she was gone. 

I wanted to tell Mom that Dulcinea had died. But I can't. I wanted to tell her that she, too, died peacefully. She, too, was surrouded by her loved ones; and she was not in pain. But Mom knew before us that Dulcinea was gone. Dulcinea was with Mom and Dad when we found her. She could be fiesty, but she was our sweet baby girl. She exited just like a lady, quietly and gracefully. Dulcinea, you leave an empty place in our hearts and home. 💔