For anyone who doesn’t have pets, I can imagine that pet bereavement might sound a bit silly. A bit crazy cat lady.
The only way I can describe it is to imagine that you have lived with someone for nearly 15 years; you have seen that person pretty much every day for those years, barring holidays. That person doesn’t talk much but relies on you for basic needs- food, water, and affection. When one of you is ill you look after eachother, even if that just means laying next to you in your sick bed while you feel sorry for yourself.
You might get on each others nerves sometimes but always forgive eachother. And no matter what kind of day you have had, when you get in the front door that person is there to greet you – happy even excited to see you. Desperate to give you a hug. And the truth of it all is that you love eachother and just being together is enough to make up for any of the crap life throws at you.
In the evenings you always settle close together to watch movies, even sharing your snacks. They are the last thing you see at night and the first thing you see every morning.
And then one day that person is gone. And all those things you didn’t realise you relied on have been taken away. You may have thought all along that person needed you more than you needed them but the crushing realisation comes in that you needed them just as much.
Drusilla was my best friend, the one companion who has been with me solidly for the last 14 and a half years, at night I always fell asleep with her beside me and I always woke to the sound of her or the gentle tap of her paw on my mouth. She made me laugh and she made me feel loved.
And that is why I grieve for her as I would a person, no matter how hard that might be for non pet owners to understand, that is the way it is.
She made me happy every day and for that I am grateful, and for all my tears and sadness I am happy that I ever had her in my life, honoured even that such a creature would befriend and trust me.
The last two years of her life involved daily medication and careful monitoring, Mr O and I did all that we could for her, never sure how long she had left. From diagnosis (Renal Disease) she was given 3 months, but she stayed with us for two years which makes me feel lucky. She was in good fettle right up until a few days before she passed away.
She had the soul of an adventurer, never afraid of the next destination, always ready to get on and explore her new world. She made me a better, less selfish person and for that I will always be grateful. She has been a constant light through some dark times, weathering all storms beside me. I hope that one day our adventures will bring us back together

Drusilla Ormsby

26th May 2000 – 20th December 2014