Summertime Blues 18: Butterball

[bookblather]

Author: Kat
Title: Butterball
Story: In the Heart
Colors: Summertime blues 18 (Bummer of a trip)
Supplies and Materials: Fingerpainting (first person fffff), novelty beads (kitty inna book).
Word Count: 369
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Ivy meets a kitty.
Warnings: sick animal, animal death
Notes: On the Lint Roller, SWL asked Ivy "What is/was the Best Cat Ever? You know, the one you're secretly comparing all other cats (and some people) to?"


After my first disastrous attempt at a summer job (helpful advice: if you're fundamentally confrontational, don't go into fast food), I started working at an animal shelter. That job pretty much settled me on being a vet. Being around animals, making them feel better, connecting them to homes, it was basically all I ever wanted to do with my life. But I was only sixteen and I couldn't be a vet just yet. I settled for helping out around the place.

There was this cat who came in about... I'd been there maybe a month and a half? This little orange tabby with white paws and the cutest little face, and a round little tummy that he would actually let you pet. He loved to jump up on people and purr thunderously, and he'd sit in your lap for hours just so long as he was being petted. Really sweet cat—we were pretty sure that he was somebody's pet and he'd gotten lost. He'd stick his chin up against the door to get it scritched if you happened to be passing by his cage.

Technically we were calling him AJ (the lady on staff the day he came in was a huge Backstreet Boys fan), but more often we called him Loverboy, or Cutieface, or Purrful or something sickening like that. I called him Butterball, because of his tummy.

And let me tell you, if we hadn't had my favorite grumpy Gus-cat, I would have taken that guy home in a heartbeat.

We took a trip up to Connecticut about a week before Labor Day, just to spend some time at the lake before Aaron and I went back to school. When I got back, Butterball wasn't at the shelter anymore. I figured his people came and got him. I mean, he had to have some people. Sweet cat like that? How could he not?

I found out the day before school started again that actually, he had a massive tumor on his stomach-- that was why it was so round. They had to put him to sleep. One of the volunteers held him the whole time; she said he was still purring, right up until the end.

Poor little Butterball. I still miss him.

Comments

[finch]

brb crying

again

that's like twice today why do you keep doing this to me?

[bookblather]

I'm sorry. :( I will write about happy queer people for you if you like?

[isana]

oh, good god, that's horribly sad.

Poor kitty. At least he got to go peacefully, and hopefully without any pain.

[bookblather]

Yeah, no pain. I have spoken.

Thank you.

[kay_brooke]

Poor, poor kitty. This is so sad.

(I mean, well-written. But I have to go home and hug my cat now.)

[bookblather]

I did too. Fortunately he was right there and purry.

Thank you.

[serpentine]

This makes me miss my kitty. A lot.

(This was written well!)

[bookblather]

Thank you. And I'm sorry.

(also, I may have accidentally banned you just now; I don't THINK so but if I did please let me know and I will fix it ASAP.)

[serpentine]

I don't know how to check for that on my end?

(Though if you get that little pop up on the icon, then you can see if I'm listed as banned there, I think.)

[rustydragonfly]

STOP IT. STOP MAKING ME FEEL THINGS.

[bookblather]

NEVER.

Thank you.

[shipwreck_light]

helpful advice: if you're fundamentally confrontational, don't go into fast food

EPIC SNORK GOES HERE.

And OMG I CAN SEE THAT CAT. He is yowely and lovely and affixed to lovely laps.

His happiness is contagious, even towards the end. He smells like sawdust and Ivy-pets.

[bookblather]

Yeah, it... ended hilariously.

He was a happy kitty his whole life. And he didn't hurt. I said so.

Thank you.

[dark_kana]

Oh.. So sad. So well written.
Poor kitty.

[bookblather]

Thank you.