Saying Good-bye to the Princess

Sylvie was Lisa’s cat. She was called “The Princess” for good reason. She had a regal bearing and a big fluffy tail that she allowed her subjects to pet when she so deigned. She was demanding and smart. She usually got what she wanted one way or another. She was Lisa’s companion and friend for over 20 years. She allowed me into her circle of subjects more than 10 years ago, even though I brought that “heathen cat” Spike with me. I was privileged to know and love her as a treasured member of our family.


I first met Sylvie when I was entrusted with her care while Lisa attended her niece’s wedding in Australia. Lisa and I had been dating for a while and I had instructions to go to her apartment after work each day to feed Sylvie, but I was also to sit in the green chair and pet Sylvie until she jumped down. Then I could go home. It was a ritual Sylvie carried over even during our last cold Texas winter. She would demand my lap each morning as I sat down in the green chair to watch the morning news on TV. I had to learn how to eat with a cat nestled in my lap. Did I mention that Sylvie gets what she wants?

Where Spike was a fraidy cat around strangers, Sylvie was a social butterfly. She loved attention. She would waft around the chairs at dinner parties inviting people to pet her luxuriously fluffy tail. If no one was paying her proper attention she had ways to…get attention. Sylvie was happiest when she was laying on top of Lisa or by her side while she would read in bed at night. Despite her regalness, Sylvie would be the first to come and lay with us when we were sick. After all, as Princess it was her job to look after her family.

Both Spike and Sylvie made the trip with us almost 6 years ago when we moved to San Antonio, Texas. Sylvie was the real traveler though, following Lisa from Florida to Chicago to Texas. She was a trooper. Both cats took to their new home here in Texas, but time was taking its toll on both cats over the last few years. We noticed they were not as spry and spent a lot of time sleeping. Babs, our foundling kitten, came into their lives about 3 years ago and shook things up for awhile. Was there to be a challenge to the throne? No chance! Sylvie was still the Princess. Babs had to settle for snuggling with Spike on cold winter days. Sylvie would have none of it unless she was too snoozy to notice.

With Spike’s passing a little over a month ago, Sylvie grew more frail and had trouble walking. She was not eating as much and her fur was becoming matted since it had become hard for her to groom herself. Lisa would spend a lot of time cutting out her fur knots and brushing her. Sylvie loved this time and would purr softly in her lap. We knew her time was coming. But it was hard to think about saying good-bye to our dear old friend.

Today, with much sadness Lisa and I took the Princess for her last trip to the vet. Lisa and I both wept over Sylvie’s passing and after a little ceremony, we laid her to rest in our new flower bed in the backyard not far from Spike’s grave under the Loquat tree. In the spring, her grave will be covered with Texas wildfowers. We like that and she would too. The Princess will be missed.

Food for THOUGHT…