I posted a picture of my 17 year old cat, Pippi, with my 4 year old granddaugher on one of these threads, but I can't find it for this follow up story.
Pippi went to the bridge today. She had been an outside cat for 14 years, since age 3 when she stopped using the litterbox and use the bathtub or closet floor instead. I tried different litters, different spots for her box, etc, nothing worked. She was very special cat who loved kids. The grandkids could carry her around by neck, tail, in any uncomfortable position and she never hissed, bit, scratched or tried to get away---touch her throat and her "motor" would be going full blast.
We were gone most of yesterday, and got in late last night. Hubby had dental applointment early this morning . When he went out the door, he came back and and said Pippi could not use her back legs. I said we would take her to the vet as soon as he got back. This appointment had been cancedl twice in the past as he didn't get home (cross ountry truck driver). But by the time he got back, she had died, laying there in the sun as she loved to do. We buried her at the side of the house in the flower bed of wandering dew she loved to "hide" in. We are sure going to miss that old girl as she always came to greet us when we pulled into the driveway--with the exception of last night.
We think she was either hit by a kid on a bike or skate board on the sideway, or there were kids playing soccer in the yard next door yesterday afternoon and if there were kids around, Pippi was around. Maybe she was hit by the ball.
I just posted this here as several had seen her picture and read about her and even tho this is posted in the Kitty section, if you do not have cats, you might not see it.