A person with whom I have had a history struggled for a long time with the illness that finally brought her to hospice. Wanting to make peace, I visited her there recently. She was not conscious —
— but imagine my delight to find that Lacy Doodle, her beloved cat, was with her, bedside.
Here is a healthy young male version of what Lacy Doodle must have looked like, once upon a time.
Now both person and cat have passed, the latter a few days before the former.
Her partner told me that one morning they saw deer playing right outside their hospice window. It’s not as if this place were in the boonies — it is just minutes away from the very-busy Northwest Arkansas Mall.
I felt so sad when, in taking the video tour at the link above, I saw the very spot where I held out Lacy’s water-dish to her as she drank. Probably too much; she was ill but how ill I don’t think was known at the time.
It is so very comforting to think of person and cat together again now, as they were in life for so long. I am so glad and relieved to think that at the end these friends could have been, but were not, separated from each other.
Here’s to home in hospice. We have learned a few things about death and dying nowadays, and I am very glad for it.
catself 
That’s awesome that Lacy got to be close to her human during their last days. That is how it should be.
this brought tears to my eyes. How eerie that both the cat and the human passed within days of each other. Now they are in Heaven offering each other comfort.
We’ve seen recently how some hospitals are allowing patients to have their beloved pet with them. With the healing our pets bring to us, we pet some stays are shortened. We are so pleased that the lady and her cat you wrote of had the comfort of each other in the end. Purrs and hugs, Lily Olivia, Misty May, Mauricio, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Josette
What a gift to have a feline companion at the end of our journey. In this case, until death do us part. How blessed.
In this case, Lacy Doodle saw his mistress safe home. Then he was free to leave to join her.
made me teary eyed.. both of them are in a good place now, playing and cuddling with each other..
How very poignant. It is so unlikely that a beloved pet would be allowed to taken to a hospice with its owner in the UK. Here, with regard to health care, we seem to have gone back to the dark ages! 😦
Your friends, both cat and human, were so blessed to go on to the new adventure together. How beautiful.
What a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing. The end of one journey is the start of another. So happy your friend and her beloved feline are making the journey together.
I am so sorry for your loss but so incredibly pleased that hospice allowed her cat to be with her. So wonderful for both of them that they could be together.
Sorry for your loss. But she was never alone, with her dear kitty.
Thank you for a beautiful post and wonderful memory for me–that you came that day and visited us. And thanks for posting a picture that looks much like Lacy Doodle. She was such a comfort to me and is now to Louise now and forevermore.