Now We Call Him “Dusty.”
Posted on April 28, 2005 Posted by John Scalzi 12 Comments
Here it is: The last picture of Rex you’re likely to see. Inside this box are his little furry ashes — well, the ashes themselves are not furry (and if they are, it’s time to recalibrate the heat elements at the crematorium), but you know what I mean.
I imagine we’ll get him a somewhat more appropriate repository at some point in the near future, but for now his earthly remains rest inside a small cardboard box, along with some foam peanuts — I opened it up and looked (the foam peanuts are unlikely to make it into any future repository save the trash). I drew the kitty on the outside, to make the box look a little less sterile, and also to make sure that the box doesn’t accidentally get tossed by anyone, say, during a random cleaning of their husband admittedly unforgivably messy office.
Anyway, here’s Rex, in ashen, granulated form. Say goodbye to the nice people, my dear cat. And goodbye to the dear cat, nice people.
Sorry to hear about Rex. I do like the juxtaposition with the magazine in the back since your last post regarding Rex also mentioned the Pope. I love the symmetry of it.
I can’t imagine a more appropriate resting place for a cat than a cardboard box full of foam peanuts. Unless you’re going to put him in a room full of dangly strings, warm laps, and sunbeams.
Sorry for your loss.
Douglas
This is one of many reasons my wife is anti-pet – the thought of finding a dead animal in the house just freaks her out.
I agree with Douglas – my cats both love such boxes full of peanuts, they had a field day last night after I unpacked the e-drums…
Apparently there’s a service somewhere that will turn your dear departed pet’s skin into a nice pillow, so you can keep a bit of them around forever… I might take advantage of that in the future.
Seems like you’re taking the loss pretty well, tho. I’d be a mess for a while if I lost one of mine. Then again, I’m single…
I’m actually pretty good with pet deaths, and (so far at least) deaths in general. Make no mistake, I’m very sad my cat passed away. But I tend to process pretty well, and I have a dark sense of humor that keeps ticking away no matter what.
Boxes with styrofoam peanuts in them: the ball pit of the feline world.
When we lost our cat, after she valiantly battled kidney failure and anemia for 7 months, we got her ashes in a nice little box. The following spring, we planted a magnolia tree and spread her ashes in the hole we’d dug for the tree. It just seemed like the right thing to do.
I’m getting a little teary…I’ve been reading too many stories of dead kitties recently. Rex’s death was sandwiched in between the deaths of two of Wil Wheaton‘s cats; Felix died before Rex, Sketch afterwards. Each time, it reminds me of just how much it’s going to hurt when Star finally leaves us (and I know Pamela’s going to be utterly inconsolable). Which makes it that much more important, whenever she comes over to my chair and meows at me, to give her a lap and lots of attention, and tell her what a good girl she is.
I’m not into the idea of making a pillow out of my dead pet, but cats shed a lot, and I’ve heard of people who will spin your pet’s fur into yarn, and weave it into cloth if you so desire.
And I’d leave the peanuts. My cats love ’em!
I agree with Sue, plant something Rex would’ve loved over top of him.
Friday Ark
Cats, Dogs, Spiders and ? every Friday. I’ll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals as I see them (photoshops at my discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Leave a comment or trackback to…
I like the drawing. Very appropriate if Rex was a playful kitty. Sorry for the loss. I dread the day my wife’s kitty dies.
I think the Schrödinger’s Cat trick only works in one direction and not the other…but hey, if you tape up the box real tight, and avoid observing the interior, anything could happen.