Ace, We’re going to miss you

I can’t believe it. We both are still in shock.

Dave and I were enjoying our vacation in Asheville, NC, when I got a call from the vet where we boarded our kitties. She tells me that Ace is not doing well. As she describing what was wrong with him, I interrupted her. “You mean Puddin, right?” Puddin is our 12 year old kitty, who I’ve noticed in the last month or so is moving slower. Ace just turned 6, had more energy than two cats, and was fine when we dropped him off at the vets four days earlier. “No, it’s Ace.” She said he had fluid in his lungs and they were working on him, but a half hour later when she called back, he was gone. It looks like he had a heart problem, even though we never saw any symptoms. We got in our rental car and drove home.

We adopted Ace back in August 2012. I wrote a post about him here. He was such a little kitty. The local humane society was having an adopt-a-thon at the local pet store. He was so friendly with not just us, but the other cats waiting for their forever homes. We were surprised when we got him home that he was so scared of everything except us and Puddin. If you came over to our house, you would never see him. But with us, he was always around.

He and Puddin became fast friends. Sleeping together in my chair was common until recently since she has had trouble jumping up to the recliner. But they still have remained close, him often laying on the floor next or near to her and almost always in the same room. He was always pestering her, even right before vacation. He loved her so.

Ace loved to drink out of my water. I had no idea he was doing it until one day I caught him!

He recently took over a rope bowl I made. He thought I made it for him. I guess I did.

He also love sitting in the sling.

One of the last photos I got of him was just a couple weeks ago when he was sitting in this red fabric box I was planning on throwing out since it was all torn up. He loved it so much I couldn’t dare throw it away.

He never really got on my table until I reorganized my studio in March. The railing under the windows that he used to walk on to get to the big picture window was now blocked by my shelving so in order to get to the window, he would jump from the floor to the railing. But once he was there, he would walk on over to my table and I’d catch him often checking out what I was doing.

I’m really going to miss the special game we played every night after dinner. He’d be waiting in the hall, just outside the dining room. When I was finished with kitchen cleanup I’d throw him three treats, one at a time. I’d throw them as high as I could and watch as he jumped and then slide across the living room laminate flooring catching each one, but usually batting it around first. He only got three after dinner, but sometimes if he’d meet me in the hall after lunch, we’d play again, but that time only for one. I had no idea last Wednesday’s game would be our last.

Dave and Ace were especially close. They had their own games they played. I’ve been after Dave to buy a new chair for his desk, but he just couldn’t because Ace liked that chair. They shared the same birthday month so we always had a birthday picture together. Here is the very first picture taken in September 2012, and then the March 2018 birthday picture.

We’ll bury him today out by the garden so he’ll keep Dave company. I’ll put a temporary rock over his grave until I can paint one just for him.

I hate how these furry little creatures just crawl into our hearts, and in no time they are gone, leaving such a large hole. I swore after Sidd that I’d never get close to another cat. It was way too painful losing him, but then Ace came in and just stole my heart.  I can’t believe that he had to leave us so early. It again reminds me that today is all we have.

Puddin was crying last night. She misses him too.