Saying Goodbye to Layla

After Dan and I were married for about seven months, I had the sudden craving to care for something little . . . I certainly wasn't ready for a baby and it wasn't practical to get a dog, and Dan and I agreed long ago that we would never have mice for pets, like I did when I was a child! (I still don't know what attachment I had for those stinky little albino mice in third grade) So, while I had never really cared for cats before, and their stereo-typical "princess attitude", I found myself eager to adopt a kitten!

When Dan and I arrived at a college student's home to choose a kitten from the litter, we picked out Layla almost right away. She was one of the few kittens who still had a full tail, unlike her siblings who inherited their mother's bob-tail. We also wanted a female because Dan knows from experience (as does anyone from the human race) that female species of any kind are naturally much cleaner and don't go spraying their ego around.

Like the rest of the litter, Layla was feisty! We laughed in amazement, watching those kittens run full speed at each other before jumping in the air and slamming into each other, creating a mad tangle of tiny paws and black bodies. We fell in love with Layla and she was an instant part of our family. At six weeks, she loved scurrying up my leg with her sharp claws, climbing up my body like a tree until she was perched on my shoulder. She also learned how to play hide & seek with me, both of us crawling and hiding behind couches until one or the other would pounce out of nowhere. Usually Layla won, earning a startled scream from me! We played this game for years, especially over that very long summer in Vegas when Dan installed alarm systems for APX and we only had each other for company until late into the night. Layla was my little side-kick, ready for a good snuggle when she felt like it (of course).

Unfortunately, we learned at about six months that there was something not quite right in Layla's head. From the very first time we took her outside (once winter had passed), she hissed the first time she saw a child for no reason. Layla was also a terror in our home when our nieces and nephews came to visit. For some reason, she hated children and any animal. She would go a little nutty with her eyes dilating wild and black, and her claws coming out to swipe at anything passing by her. She quickly earned her nickname, "Devil cat". When we became pregnant with Ty, we decided to declaw Layla for our baby's safety and everyone elses!

Layla loved to snuggle with both of us, but with if there was a choice between Dan or me, she usually chose Dan. She didn't care when he was trying to study for law school. She just shoved her way onto his chest until Dan relented.

 

After Ty was born, Layla pretty much ignored him. Here she is, watching Ty receive his first bath. She seemed to watch him curiously, but sometimes she also had this look in her eye like he wasn't her favorite addition to the home!

But as long as she tolerated him, we were fine to keep her in our home.

. . . even though she really tried to pretend Ty didn't exist!

Despite her craziness, we really loved Layla. Most anyone else who met her couldn't truly understand why. She became such a nutcase and destroyed any kind reputation we tried to build for her throughout her five years of life! After Ty passed away, Sandra agreed to take care of her until Dan and I made it back to Vegas. She seemed to be making some improvements, despite biting Sandra a couple times in the process. I cannot emphasize how patient Sandra was with her. Dan calls his mom the "cat-whisperer" because his mother's love for animals seems to have a calming affect on cats and any other animal. After almost a year with Layla, Sandra seemed to have almost cured Layla's unstable temperament.

Then Christmas Eve 2010 came around. Layla dashed into the house after some cat apparently had been chasing her. For some inexplicable reason, she attacked Sandra and bit her twice in a row on Sandra's foot, causing a lot of bleeding . . . and a horrendous infection. Cat bacteria is insanely poisonous like that! It was again evidence of Layla's instability. She'd been given so many chances but bottom-line: Humans come first, and with all the children in the neighborhood (not to mention visits from our niece, Lila, to her grandma's house) we knew it was time.

Last weekend, Dan and I intended on taking Layla to be put down. Sandra is so tender-hearted and has somewhat enjoyed Layla's "Jeckle and Hyde" relationship that she felt sad to follow through with our plan. I knew I could not be there when the deed was done. Seeing death, even in movies, is really triggering for me. Sandra knew it would be the same for Dan, even though he was being brave for the women's sakes. When Sandra called the next morning to state that she would be the one to put Layla down, I knew it was such an act of love and felt so much gratitude for her. She suggested I not go and say goodbye because it would only make the situation more difficult. 

Sandra took Layla to the veterinarian and intended to be there with her when they put her down. However, she became extremely aggressive (as is typical for her in those settings) and they couldn't even get her out of the cage. The vet said they would need to use gas to sedate her before euthanizing her. I feel bad that her last moments were like that for her. But I don't feel guilty for what I know needed to be done, and hopefully, her cat spirit is happier now.

I'm sad she's gone. She was a really sweet cat to Dan and me and certainly had her own personality! However, having lost a child, it's obviously not nearly as difficult as I'm sure it might have been, had I needed to put her down previously. I guess I'm a little desensitized. But I wanted to write about Layla and offer a little tribute for the sweet, crazy life that was hers.