The Story of Hatha -- Beginning to Present...

love to you two and animal family, and remembrance of Hatha. Please keep posting.

So sorry to read of your loss, remember the good times and how much love you were able to give her in her second half of life, which is when it truly began.

Rest peacefully Hatha (Sun-Moon), you were loved and shall not be forgotten.

We/I cared about the Hatha stories...

Thank you, everyo9ne.

She passed yesterday just before noon (Okinawa time). This morning we buried her in the yard where her grave can be seen easily from the kitchen door. Sumako placed Hatha's favorite food with her, enough for a three day journey. This afternoon, Sumako planted an American olive tree above her.

So very touching. May she rest in peace. She was well loved. I love the symbolism of the planting of the olive tree.

Re: the birth year (sorry to be so nit-picky). Perhaps you mean 2004 not 1994? If it had been 1994, she would have been 23 yrs when she passed on.

That's correct. 23 years old. Maybe 24. The vet was uncertain by a year or so.

We seem to have a thing with keeping animals healthy into extreme old age. Most of our cats are 15 or more, one is 20 (Heart), Anna passed recently at age 20 also. Our oldest passed at 23. For Japan, this is very unusual. Most cats in Japan live to about 10 or 12, and most dogs don't make it much past 12 years old.

I wonder why whoever choses to down-thumb me, is doing so? If you thought in some way I was trying to be critical of Seizan in any way - I clearly wasn't. I was simply trying to clarify whether or not their dear pet made it to the ripe old age of 23. Seizan graciously clarified it for me. I'm thankful for that.

Seizan, you and your family truly have the loving and caring touch. I have learned a lot ( I hope) from your experiences and notes. I have had the good fortune when I had my 2 cats, Bonkers and Sugar (Meshuganeh) that they lived long healthy lives to the ripe-old age of 19.5 and 17.5 yr. My toy French Poodle, Jellybean, is middlle-aged at 8 yrs and has the vitality of a teenager.

I have no idea who might be displaying any negativity toward you. I certainly appreciate your sensitivity and your obvious love for living things. It's a great responsibility and takes far more dedicated energy and concern than most can imagine to care for a family member well into a healthy old age.

It's possible the "down-thumb" was not intentional.

But know -- if I wore a hat, it would be off with a bow for you.

It feels strange now. Since Saturday afternoon, I still walk silently through the kitchen, opening and closing doors more quietly than usual, and making as little noise as possible around the house, as I did when Hatha was with us. It's become habit to keep quiet, to not wake her... Before going off to work today, I went to the kitchen for a last check on her, ready to give a little water and change a diaper as usual, and stopped just sort of opening the kitchen door before remembering she just isn't there.

Sumako tell me she does and feels the same.

We will leave her cage/pen assembled for just a little while, until we get used to seeing it empty of her, her bed, and her items. Then we have to get used to seeing a big empty space where her pen is now.

We'll take it step by step. For now, it's just too soon to put the physical reminders out of sight.

The music is still playing. Musashi thinks she is still here, someplace. He sees the utterly empty pen but does not yet comprehend. When he finally realizes his "Mommy" is gone and will not return, we'll do our best to help him handle his grief. One thing at a time.

One cat I had long ago went into grieving the passing of his life-buddy for nearly a month before he settled down.

We will donate her special food for aged dogs to ... someone nearby.

I understand..

I wrote this on the Haiku thread for Anna some time back. Now it's for Hatha too. It feels the same...

Hallowed by absence:
her bed, blanket, food dish, toys...
These must go -- someday...