RIP Ruby and the Barf

Warning: This post might gross you out.

I am pretty sure our bulimic cat, Ruby, is dead.

She has been missing for some time now, and since she's very dramatic about her food intake, that can only mean one thing: she's not coming back.

More than anything, I feel guilt that I am not very sad that she is not coming back. She was a nice enough cat, but she did not bring anything into my life except annoyance. Of course, I hope that she laid herself down and had a nice peaceful death and that she did not get eaten by a coyote (although spring has sprung here and that is semi-likely). I hope she did not have any fear or pain.

But she was so annoying! She meowed constantly, and then would climb in your lap and nurse on your shirt while kneading your tummy. She would arch up to be pet, but only wanted to be scratched on the neck. And if you did that too long, she'd shake her head and get slobber everywhere. And then there was the whole thing I mentioned before, in the Introductions post, that she did, where she'd cry and cry for food, then swallow it whole, then run somewhere and barf it up. So you'd always be walking along with bare feet in the dark when you found the barf. Even now, we find barf in weird places, all dried up.

So I don't think I'll miss her. It's one less mouth to feed, one less poop to scoop in the litter box (even though MrDartt mostly does that dirty work), and one less being's barf to clean up.

I feel terrible about times I kicked her off the carpet and onto the wood floor as she was getting ready to barf, sending her skidding across the hall, leaving a trail of barf on the floor.

Don't worry, I took her to the vet for this throwing up thing, and they said there was nothing wrong with her -- probably anxiety related. In a cat.

I noticed recently that she was getting skinny but I thought it's just because it's getting hot and she liked to be outside. I thought it could be age -- I've had her at least six years and don't know how old she was when I got her.

Isn't it horrible that I don't think I'll miss her, and that the only real reason I'm sad is because I feel bad for her that I don't think I'll miss her?

Rest In Peace, Ruby.

Hopefully cats don't barf in cat heaven.