THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MAXIE
Do our pets go to heaven? The answer to that question comes further down in the story. First you will have to hear the story of a cat named Maxie, also affectionately known as Mittens.
Our beloved cat of almost 15 years died three days after Christmas on December 28th 2016. Her death hit our family hard, and the intense grief was unexpected. I never understood others as they grieved the death of their pets. It was just an animal and not a human being after all! Having now gone through the process, I understand the strong attachments we form with our pets.
My husband and I never looked for a pet. We didn't want the bother, and my husband came from a family where pets were not valued or welcomed. Yet she came. God knew our family needed her. Maxie was born under our pool shed to a feral mother. Our three young children were enchanted by the family, even though the kittens were too wild to pet. One day we watched as the mother carried her kittens off into the wooded area, and we didn't see the family any more.
Several days later, one of the kittens popped out from behind the shed, and tried to drink from an old water bowl we had left out. The mother had left the runt of the litter behind. My oldest son named her Maxie. We took her to the vet, where they said it didn't look like she would survive, but we could try to feed her formula with a syringe. She was also covered in fleas. After two weeks, I had enough of feeding her every two to three hours around the clock, and prayed to God that she would either die, or recover because I couldn't do this any longer. She survived, and I became her mom. Maxie would follow me all over the house. Where I went, she went. If I was cleaning the bathroom, she would sit at the door and watch me. When I did my morning prayers, she would come and sit with me. If I missed my morning prayers, Maxie would meow impatiently and walk to the spot. Cats are creatures of habit, and love routine!
My oldest son loved her the most. As soon as he woke up, as soon as he came home from school or work, and just before going to bed he would spend time with his cat. Where he couldn't always relate to people, he could relate to his cat. When my son went away to university, everyone would tease him because he brought a picture of Mittens (and not his family!) to his dorm. I know many children on the autism scale who love the soft fur of their cat. They provide much needed comfort and unconditional love for those who have difficulty navigating the social complexities of this world.
Maxie also softened my husband's heart, and would sneak up unto his lap while he slept on the couch. She also kept my other son and daughter company during lonely times when the family was away from home. She found a place in each of our hearts.
About a month before Christmas we were given the news that Maxie had kidney disease and we watched her go steadily downhill. Her decline brought to the fore many issues on death and dying. We decided against placing her at the animal hospital for intravenous. At her age, it would just prolong the inevitable and the cost would be prohibitive. We also grappled with whether or not to have her euthanized. I researched and talked to many people, discovering that it was more common for pets to be put down than to be left to die naturally. I understand there is a point where the pain may be too great to bear and each case is different. However, for our family, the right path was to let our brave little girl spend her last hours with her family and the only home she had ever known.
We would have missed so much had we rushed to end her life. We had a month to prepare our hearts, and spend as much time as we could with Mittens. The first week she kept herself alone in the basement, coming upstairs to eat a bite or two and drink some water. After that, she began to seek us out, wanting to be with us. We had to help her get from place to place, as walking became more difficult for her. My middle son learned compassion as he cared for Maxie while we were at work. It was perfect timing as he was on break from school. If Maxie wanted to go somewhere, he was there to help her get where she wanted to be. She could no longer make it up the stairs and walking became too difficult. He prepared a soft bed for her to lie on. He helped her out of the litter box when she fell over and couldn't get out (My brave kitty was determined. She used her litter box right until last day of her life). My oldest son who loved her the most, would take her to the food and water bowl, and patiently keep bringing her back until she would eat. My daughter, knowing how much her brother loved his cat, created an ornament with paw prints and photo to give on Christmas day.
About four days before her death, Maxi had a burst of energy where she somehow managed to make it up the stairs. it took a while, but she got there. She then proceeded to spend time with each person in our family. She tried to jump up on the couch to be with my middle son, but couldn't make it, so he gently helped her up. She hobbled over to stand beside me while I emptied the dishwasher. I sat beside her while on the phone making Christmas plans. Maxie head butted my knee, telling me to pay attention. I later read that this behavior is a sign of affection. My girl was saying goodbye and telling me how much she loved me. Maxie made the rounds to each room in the house, spending about two hours in each of her favorite spots. It was such a sweet day with our Maxie girl and we were all deeply touched.
When she could no longer walk, we would talk to her in low soft voices and scratch her head. She would flip over on her back with her paws in the air, expressing her complete trust in her family, inviting us to comfort her. Eventually, all she could do was lay on her side and try to lift her head a little and watch us. At that point we did a family vigil taking turns to be with Maxie, so she wouldn't be alone. At midnight I went to bed, and said my goodbyes just in case. The next morning my oldest son who loved her most, found his Mittens had died in the night. She was still lying on her side the way I left her, and looked peaceful.
The next several days, we all grieved as we found constant reminders of Maxie - her water bowl, her kitty litter box that had to be packed up, food to be given away, her bed, the indentation in the couch where she loved to sit...
The entire process had me thinking of loved one's deaths, and my own. I thought about how we as society treat death. I went around in circles thinking about euthanasia and if it was right or wrong. I thought about how we try to prolong death through drugs and procedures, and wondered where the line was that you stop. I wondered what God thought of all this and if it made Him sad. I thought about quality of life verses quantity of life. I wondered why we no longer die at home, but in hospitals and nursing homes. Through it all I came to some conclusions and made some decisions on what I would want at the end of my life. I hope I can be brave and let God be God, and decide when to call me home.
After the death of a pet, it's also natural for Christians to wonder if their pet will join them in heaven. The Bible neither affirms or denies that our pets go to heaven. However, we can count on the truth that there will in fact be animals after Jesus' return. The book of Revelation talks about Jesus coming back with an army, riding on white horses (chapter 19:11,14). The book of Isaiah refers to animals when describing the new heavens and earth:
Whether they include our pets and all past animals, and/or new animals remains to be seen. We can all have our opinions. My husband suggested perhaps all animals will make their way to heaven because they don't make conscious decisions to sin, nor can they choose whether or not to accept salvation. It is interesting to note that the bible does say that animals have a spirit.
I take comfort in knowing that the God of the universe who created animals on the same day as man, has a deep love, care and concern for his creation and all that is in it.
After the grieving period, I began to ask God what I could learn from all of this. I felt His answer was that if I loved my cat so much, didn't God know what happened to her? And if God cares so much about the death of a cat, then how much more does he love me? Much more than I could imagine.
Wherever our pets end up, the Bible does guarantee that there will no longer be any death, mourning, crying or pain. God will wipe away our tears (Revelation 21:4). We need to trust that God knows what we need in Heaven to be happy. Those who put their faith, trust and hope in Jesus will discover all the great riches in heaven and the new earth that God has in store for us.
 |
| Maxie (Mittens) |
Our beloved cat of almost 15 years died three days after Christmas on December 28th 2016. Her death hit our family hard, and the intense grief was unexpected. I never understood others as they grieved the death of their pets. It was just an animal and not a human being after all! Having now gone through the process, I understand the strong attachments we form with our pets.
My husband and I never looked for a pet. We didn't want the bother, and my husband came from a family where pets were not valued or welcomed. Yet she came. God knew our family needed her. Maxie was born under our pool shed to a feral mother. Our three young children were enchanted by the family, even though the kittens were too wild to pet. One day we watched as the mother carried her kittens off into the wooded area, and we didn't see the family any more.
Several days later, one of the kittens popped out from behind the shed, and tried to drink from an old water bowl we had left out. The mother had left the runt of the litter behind. My oldest son named her Maxie. We took her to the vet, where they said it didn't look like she would survive, but we could try to feed her formula with a syringe. She was also covered in fleas. After two weeks, I had enough of feeding her every two to three hours around the clock, and prayed to God that she would either die, or recover because I couldn't do this any longer. She survived, and I became her mom. Maxie would follow me all over the house. Where I went, she went. If I was cleaning the bathroom, she would sit at the door and watch me. When I did my morning prayers, she would come and sit with me. If I missed my morning prayers, Maxie would meow impatiently and walk to the spot. Cats are creatures of habit, and love routine!
My oldest son loved her the most. As soon as he woke up, as soon as he came home from school or work, and just before going to bed he would spend time with his cat. Where he couldn't always relate to people, he could relate to his cat. When my son went away to university, everyone would tease him because he brought a picture of Mittens (and not his family!) to his dorm. I know many children on the autism scale who love the soft fur of their cat. They provide much needed comfort and unconditional love for those who have difficulty navigating the social complexities of this world.
 |
| My oldest son always wore Mittens as a cat scarf or a cat hat. |
Maxie also softened my husband's heart, and would sneak up unto his lap while he slept on the couch. She also kept my other son and daughter company during lonely times when the family was away from home. She found a place in each of our hearts.
About a month before Christmas we were given the news that Maxie had kidney disease and we watched her go steadily downhill. Her decline brought to the fore many issues on death and dying. We decided against placing her at the animal hospital for intravenous. At her age, it would just prolong the inevitable and the cost would be prohibitive. We also grappled with whether or not to have her euthanized. I researched and talked to many people, discovering that it was more common for pets to be put down than to be left to die naturally. I understand there is a point where the pain may be too great to bear and each case is different. However, for our family, the right path was to let our brave little girl spend her last hours with her family and the only home she had ever known.
We would have missed so much had we rushed to end her life. We had a month to prepare our hearts, and spend as much time as we could with Mittens. The first week she kept herself alone in the basement, coming upstairs to eat a bite or two and drink some water. After that, she began to seek us out, wanting to be with us. We had to help her get from place to place, as walking became more difficult for her. My middle son learned compassion as he cared for Maxie while we were at work. It was perfect timing as he was on break from school. If Maxie wanted to go somewhere, he was there to help her get where she wanted to be. She could no longer make it up the stairs and walking became too difficult. He prepared a soft bed for her to lie on. He helped her out of the litter box when she fell over and couldn't get out (My brave kitty was determined. She used her litter box right until last day of her life). My oldest son who loved her the most, would take her to the food and water bowl, and patiently keep bringing her back until she would eat. My daughter, knowing how much her brother loved his cat, created an ornament with paw prints and photo to give on Christmas day.
About four days before her death, Maxi had a burst of energy where she somehow managed to make it up the stairs. it took a while, but she got there. She then proceeded to spend time with each person in our family. She tried to jump up on the couch to be with my middle son, but couldn't make it, so he gently helped her up. She hobbled over to stand beside me while I emptied the dishwasher. I sat beside her while on the phone making Christmas plans. Maxie head butted my knee, telling me to pay attention. I later read that this behavior is a sign of affection. My girl was saying goodbye and telling me how much she loved me. Maxie made the rounds to each room in the house, spending about two hours in each of her favorite spots. It was such a sweet day with our Maxie girl and we were all deeply touched.
When she could no longer walk, we would talk to her in low soft voices and scratch her head. She would flip over on her back with her paws in the air, expressing her complete trust in her family, inviting us to comfort her. Eventually, all she could do was lay on her side and try to lift her head a little and watch us. At that point we did a family vigil taking turns to be with Maxie, so she wouldn't be alone. At midnight I went to bed, and said my goodbyes just in case. The next morning my oldest son who loved her most, found his Mittens had died in the night. She was still lying on her side the way I left her, and looked peaceful.
The next several days, we all grieved as we found constant reminders of Maxie - her water bowl, her kitty litter box that had to be packed up, food to be given away, her bed, the indentation in the couch where she loved to sit...
The entire process had me thinking of loved one's deaths, and my own. I thought about how we as society treat death. I went around in circles thinking about euthanasia and if it was right or wrong. I thought about how we try to prolong death through drugs and procedures, and wondered where the line was that you stop. I wondered what God thought of all this and if it made Him sad. I thought about quality of life verses quantity of life. I wondered why we no longer die at home, but in hospitals and nursing homes. Through it all I came to some conclusions and made some decisions on what I would want at the end of my life. I hope I can be brave and let God be God, and decide when to call me home.
After the death of a pet, it's also natural for Christians to wonder if their pet will join them in heaven. The Bible neither affirms or denies that our pets go to heaven. However, we can count on the truth that there will in fact be animals after Jesus' return. The book of Revelation talks about Jesus coming back with an army, riding on white horses (chapter 19:11,14). The book of Isaiah refers to animals when describing the new heavens and earth:
The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
Isaiah 65:25
All
go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Who
knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal
goes down into the earth?
Ecclesiastes 3:20,21
Ecclesiastes 3:20,21
I take comfort in knowing that the God of the universe who created animals on the same day as man, has a deep love, care and concern for his creation and all that is in it.
God
made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according
to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground
according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:25
The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
Psalm 145: 9
After the grieving period, I began to ask God what I could learn from all of this. I felt His answer was that if I loved my cat so much, didn't God know what happened to her? And if God cares so much about the death of a cat, then how much more does he love me? Much more than I could imagine.
Are
not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the
ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head
are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many
sparrows.
Matthew 10:29-31
Wherever our pets end up, the Bible does guarantee that there will no longer be any death, mourning, crying or pain. God will wipe away our tears (Revelation 21:4). We need to trust that God knows what we need in Heaven to be happy. Those who put their faith, trust and hope in Jesus will discover all the great riches in heaven and the new earth that God has in store for us.
“I
tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me
has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from
death to life.
John 5:24
Thank you, Tavane. I loved this post and it had me in tears in a few spots.
ReplyDeleteIf your pet must travel as checked luggage use a direct flight and travel on the same plane as your pet. Don't travel when temperatures are forecast to be above 85 degrees F or below 45 degrees F. buy a puppy
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