{"id":829,"date":"2008-07-06T23:40:41","date_gmt":"2008-07-06T23:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2008\/07\/theres_somethin.shtml"},"modified":"2021-05-29T02:45:30","modified_gmt":"2021-05-29T02:45:30","slug":"theres_somethin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2008\/07\/theres_somethin.shtml","title":{"rendered":"There’s Something Missing"},"content":{"rendered":"

My wife and I have been married for 15.5 years, yet up until this week, I was not the oldest relationship in her life. In fact, the entire time we’ve been married, we’ve shared our bed with another.
\n\"\"<\/span>
\nPleiades, a petite, black domestic short hair came into Maria’s life around the time that we began dating. She came with her sister, Eileen who was born with only 3 paws (get it?). When we were married, Eileen went to live with a friend and it was Maria, me, Pleiades and my big dumb boy cat Rusty. Pleiades was one of a little of 7 sisters, hence the name.
\nRusty got sick and a couple of other cats have come and gone, but for 15.5 years, Pleiades has been there with us, and for about a year before that with just Maria. She was always there at bed time, ready for some attention as you were ready to sleep. I’d be trying to close my eyes while Maria read a page or two and Pleiades would get up in between us for Maria to scratch her head a bit (and to swish her tail in my face too, I think)
\nShe’d curl up with Maria whenever she wasn’t feeling well. If I came home and Maria was having one of those migraines that drove her to bed with the shades drawn to block out the light, Pleiades would be there, curled up beside her.
\nEach night, after her head scratching, she’d be there at the end of the bed on Maria’s side (although in recent months, she preferred my side). She spent most of her days there as well, curled up in a neat, shiny black circle, nose to tail.
\nLately though, things haven’t been the same. While she was still there, every night in the bed and she still seemed to get around OK, she wasn’t able to eat the hard food anymore and even the canned stuff we bought for her didn’t usually stay down. She had a seizure a while back, too, which was a scary moment for us to watch. Who knows if she had any more when we weren’t there.
\nIt was clear, the time for hard decisions was coming. Neither she or us could go on this way much longer. This was a decision that Maria had to make, though of course I supported her completely in whatever she decided. So, last Monday, Maria and Pleiades made a trip out, but only Maria returned.
\nIt was lonely that night in the bed. We left on Tuesday for a camping trip and came back tonight. Usually, the cats all come (we had four) to greet us in their own time and Pleiades was usually one of the first, purring and chattering at us, welcoming us home. This time, there was something missing. The welcoming committee was a little slow in coming, and didn’t have near as much to say.
\nAnd bed time will be missing something again, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My wife and I have been married for 15.5 years, yet up until this week, I was not the oldest relationship in her life. 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After all, I've managed to attract 8 females to my lair. On the other hand, 4 of them are feline and 3 are my offspring. Meet Cookie Cooky Cookey (Silly Daddy,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family and Friends"","block_context":{"text":"Family and Friends","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/family-and-friends"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.salguod.net\/weblog\/images\/meetcookie_salguod_net_image_1.JPG?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":597,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2006\/12\/christmas_lette.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":829,"position":1},"title":"Merry Christmas 2006","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"December 25, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Some of you will get this via snail mail with a real photo. For the rest, here's the news of our family for 2006. A lot of this was covered here on the blog at some point too. Merry Christmas. 2006 was another busy year for the Schaefer family. In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family and Friends"","block_context":{"text":"Family and Friends","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/family-and-friends"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.salguod.net\/weblog\/images\/disneyphotoimage57x_web_salguod_net_image_1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":426,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2005\/12\/merry_christmas.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":829,"position":2},"title":"Merry Christmas 2005","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"December 20, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"For those of you who don't get this in the mail ... 2005 was another busy year for the Schaefer family. In January Audrey turned 6, but she still looked 4 1\/2 because she's so small. Emily and Doug took a trip to Toledo. Doug and his Dad went to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family and Friends"","block_context":{"text":"Family and Friends","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/family-and-friends"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":209,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2004\/10\/a_very_special.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":829,"position":3},"title":"A very special day.","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"October 17, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is one of the most important days of the year for me. More important that the birthdays of my children and my anniversary. Without today, those other days would not have been possible. Today is the birthday of my bride. She turns 40 and I've had the honor and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family and Friends"","block_context":{"text":"Family and Friends","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/family-and-friends"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":409,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2005\/11\/happy_anniversa.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":829,"position":4},"title":"Happy Anniversary","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"November 17, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"In some ways it seems like she's always been there, it's hard to remember life without her. It's been 10 years today since she and I began our life together. Over those years we've lived together in 3 different places in two states. She and I have traveled a lot\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cars and Driving"","block_context":{"text":"Cars and Driving","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/cars-and-driving"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":860,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2008\/10\/sad_things_come_in_threes.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":829,"position":5},"title":"Sad Things Come In Threes","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"October 9, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Last July, I wrote about loosing my wife's cat of 15.5 years. It was hard, but the pain was tempered by the long time she was with us and the understanding that she was sick and hurting and her time had come. 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