I do not consider myself to be a big animal lover in the conventional sense. What I mean by that is that though I do like animals very much, I do not have my pets sit all over the furniture or be a pivotal part of my life. I recall when I was young a saint once said, “People are people and animals are animals and they should live separately.” My pets have their own world. I honor that. My relationship with them, I would describe as respectfully loving.
Our cat, Ollie, was with us for around 9 years. He was several years old when we got him. He became a great friend. When I would return home late at night from California classes, he seemed to be waiting for me… somehow knowing I would return when I did. He would escort me as I carried my bags into the house. It seemed natural enough at the time, but is now fond memories that somehow defined the nature of our friendship. I rarely called him Ollie… usually just ‘Boy’ or ‘Boy Cat.’
Over the past six months he aged rapidly… kidneys went as is typical of older cats. Toward the end he was skin and bones with a distended abdomen. Though he lived outside, the last weeks feeling he was not up to weathering the elements, I kept him in. He just sat on the bench in our foyer… all day and all night… staring off… seemed comfortable but only half there. We softly play a Ram chant in our foyer 24/7. It was good for him to hear it in those last days. I would carry him out to go to the bathroom and he would sit there for a while and then come back in the house [not his normal routine at all], get back on the bench, and sit until I took him out again. It was quite clear that he was dying with only a few days left. I know he felt like I was his old friend who spent those last weeks serving him. It was really quite touching. Finally, one day, he went outside and disappeared. I knew I would not see him again.
It is a wonder how animals seem to know when their time in the body is up. Or is that what they know? Maybe it is more just a sense of needing to go off and curl up in their secret hiding place and have a mahasleep… just as they instinctively know to eat, sleep, etc. At any rate, it was a most honorable and dignified way to go. He was like that.
Dear Barhmashi:your story of Ollie has touched my heart deeply, if we could follow the universal law, death is just another beginning of life, your cat go with the grace of God.
Sincere, and touching blog.
Lovely. It seems animals display both wisdom and dignity. It seems if humans weren’t so busy with illusion, they could more readily open to these aspects of themselves as well.
This was indeed touching. We have pets and one is a pup and one is aged. I see her slowing down and hope that one day when her time is here she will gently go. I am blessed each morning to have her wake me, my four legged alarm clock, I will pet her and ask her where her snooze button is and she will go lay down for another few minutes and come back. After reading Ollie’s story, I will cherish this time with Shadow and love the experience with her.
Thank you for sharing this, it was very touching.
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful story- a model of dealing with death with love, dignity and grace.
(Ollie)
My dog Athina is so dear to me. I don’t know where that came from, I never grew up with a dog til I was older. I am really going to miss her. She really comforted me through this past challenging year. The Universe found me people who will love her.
Thank you for sharing. Jai Guru Dev.
Dear Barhmashi, this happened to us too just recently. It seemed natural to let the cat out as she was blindly standing by the door, I didn’t know it would be the last time I saw our Yoda after 24 years. I felt guilty because the other family members were upset. A few days later I had a dream that the cat was healthy and full of life with beautiful fur and her nails were trimmed! (she never let me trim her nails)
thank you so much.
I will miss seeing Ollie. He had a wonderful, loving life on Elk Dr and esp Mount Soma, heaven on earth. Thank you for the touching story Bramarshi.
Jai Shiva Sankara
I have experienced the death of a pet several times in my life. My first dog “Maverick” lived 14 yrs. My second was his offspring only he barely made it to two years old. “Jessie” had epilepsy that revealed its self at 9 months. I battled the situation for over a year however the disease only worsened. I put him down at a very young age. Loosing Maverick was sad yet loosing Jessie at two was more difficult. Death is a natural cycle and expectations of a full life seem to be a natural mind set.
Thank you for sharing this Brahmarshi
I’ve always had an affinity for animals, in particular cats. Growing up, I had a cat that brought me comfort and love that I was unable to receive from the people in my life. As an adult, I had a similar experience with a cat, Shadow, that came into my life for 18 years. He gave me great solace and comfort during difficult times. I lost him this last summer. Unfamiliar with what the Veda says about the subject, and at the urging of my vet, I had him put down. It was the most excruciatingly painful experience I’ve had, with an ongoing grief that’s lasted months. I know he’s OK, better than that, he’s freed and exuberant; that was my greatest concern, to do right by him. We always had great communication and I knew he was ready to go, but I’ve agonized over the way it happened. It’s been a humbling and learning experience for me about control and perfectionism, doing the best I can under the circumstances, letting go and trusting nature’s wisdom, and knowing ultimately that God has a way of making things right even if I make a mess of it. In actuality, this grieving time, as painful as it’s been, has facilitated some profound healing and change in me.
Thank you for this beautiful blog about Ollie.
I have wonderful memories of Ollie when I was in the Ashram program. He would escort the girls to and from the Learning Center; a fierce little protector. He stalked around like he owned the mountain and was sure of his place in the world. Ollie, you were one great cat!
Ollie – He was like that! My favorite thing was watching him follow Kiran and Jaya to the center. Great cat!
Just last evening while re-reading the Ramayana, I came to the part when Hanuman changed himself into a gray cat at the gates of Lanka and thought of Ollie…..Jai Jai Ram
This blog stayed with me for a few days after I read it and then the following pondering came to mind: how so many human beings cannot be in that same state of grace with death as the old boy was, with the dieing process and the actual time of death. We seem to struggle so much with it whether it is our own or the death of another, letting them be in whatever state they are in (allowing ourselves to be there), etc. I wonder how this impacts karma at the moment of death, of the dieing/deceased and of those who are at the side of the dieing/deceased.
Incredibly touching…beautiful…honorable :”(
Ollie kept a vigil of a quiet yet solid and sturdy presence at your home while we were planting marigolds there one summer. I remember the sweetness of knowing he was there…somewhere…and I knew enough to allow him to just be. It was my favor to him. I recall thinking to myself as he stared out into the distance that he must know what you mean when you say: “best to keep one’s focus just beyond the horizon”.
Farewell Ollie. Farewell.