Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Come on, man.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Every day Vance writes another chapter in the book called “Worst VP Pick Ever”.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

This country desperately needs a functioning Fourth Estate.

with the Kraken taking a plea, the Cheese stands alone.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

Ah, the different things are different argument.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” is supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

The problem people have with Biden’s age is the color of the VPs skin.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

It’s not hopeless, and we’re not helpless.

Fight them, without becoming them!

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

When the time comes to make an endorsement, the pain of NYT editors will be palpable as they reluctantly whisper “Biden.”

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

The words do not have to be perfect.

How any woman could possibly vote for this smug smarmy piece of misogynistic crap is beyond understanding.

You are here: Home / Absent Friends / RIP Gracie- A Good Cat

RIP Gracie- A Good Cat

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Awwww:

These are some of my favorite photos of Gracie. She had a good cat life and she had her uniqueness in our house. Gracie was nobody’s cat because she exerted ownership over Grumpy Code Monkey. Every night she would get into his lap (microseconds from his butt hitting a seat cushion), lean into him and gaze up at him with pure adoration.

We got Gracie from a co-worker at the software company we both worked at 16 years ago. She had followed his son home as a kitten and was completely enamored of little boys. Unfortunately, his son was very allergic to cats and we said we would be happy to take her. Whenever we had a little boy over at the house, from a contractor’s son to our nephew, she would follow them around and beg them to be hers.
She was horrible as a bed cat. When she wanted to get up or be let out of the bedroom she would lick Grumpy’s eyes. But she was actually more content to just sleep in the kitchen so she could let us know promptly when her meal was meant to be in front of her.

She was named after Gracie Allen for her wonderful, constant, always on meow and her complete and utter lack of grace when walking the furniture when she was a kitten. Gracie was our last tuxedo and I’m not sure our house looks right without one in it.

This has been a very hard year with losing Mishka, my heart cat, in February and now losing John’s baby just a month after losing one of our best friends to cancer at 49. Even though we don’t comment a ton, the Balloon-Juice community has been a source of sanity and hope for the two of us in this difficult year.

She was clearly such a good girl. I had the pleasure of meeting RonnieRoo and GCM a while back. Hope to do so once again next time I am in town. Give your pets some attention tonight.

Reader Interactions

91Comments

  2. 2.

    Mnemosyne

    Pretty girl! She looked a bit like our Charlotte, except that Charlotte is black where Gracie was gray.

    I know you will miss your girl very much.

  5. 5.

    MelissaM

    There’s something almost human in her face in the top portrait. So sorry for your loss(es.)

  8. 8.

    Manyakitty

    I’m so sorry. Gracie sounds like she was a very good girl, who knew how lucky she was to find people who loved her as much as she loved them. Heisenberg, Schrodinger, and Manya send many purrs and nose boops in her honor.

  10. 10.

    Schlemazel

    She looks exactly like our current overlord. Totally different personality though. We don’t have enough time with these fine cats. Sorry for your loss

  12. 12.

    Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA

    Rest in peace, beautiful Gracie. There’s a special place in kitty heaven for tuxedos — my Phoebe will show you around. You and she can talk about how loved both of you were and will always be.

    GCM, I’m sorry for all of your losses and your horrible year.

  13. 13.

    MazeDancer

    Her uniqueness beams from the pictures. Glad you have great pics. They bring joy in decades to come. And what a pretty girl.

    So sorry you lost her. We only get to be with them for that short, wondrous time.

    May good things start coming your way. After such times, it would be only fair.

  14. 14.

    zhena gogolia

    I’m so sorry. She was so, so beautiful.

    Our beloved 15-year-old tuxedo Louis has a kidney sarcoma, so we’re enjoying him while we can. He’s holding on so far, but there is such sadness in knowing we don’t have him for much longer. Tuxedos are the best! (along with all other types of cats, of course)

  19. 19.

    ArchTeryx

    What a beautiful tuxedo queen Gracie was. My goofy ginger tom is a looker, too, but dumb as a bag of hammers – not like Gracie was. I’m really glad that she graced your life, and that you were a good can opener to her. Grieve…you’ve earned it. But don’t beat yourself up. She was well cared for and had as happy a life as a cat could hope for. Know that, at least.

  20. 20.

    raven

    Sweet kitty. I just posted the problem I’m having with Lil Bit on the previous thread. It sucks but that’s what we get for loving them so much.

  23. 23.

    Annie

    Oh I’m so sorry. It’s awful to lose our feline friends.

    I’m going to go home and give my two furries extra hugs.

  25. 25.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I am very sorry, Ronnie Roo and Grumpy. She was beautiful. RIP, Gracie, and bring good memories to the humans who loved you.

  28. 28.

    Waynski

    Wow. She’s the spitting image of our little Clementine (a.k.a. Clemmie, Boo-boo, Chunky Love, and Turkey Freak, or Turkey Face). So, so sorry. I was never much of a cat person until I met my wife and had the pleasure of meeting her cats, Maggie and Trotsky. We lost them about 13-10 years ago, respectively. Sucks.

  29. 29.

    SiubhanDuinne

    So now I am confused, relieved, worried, and pissed off. Evidently, all the reports that operatic baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky had died of a brain tumor today after a two-year illness were premature. Despite the fact that numerous sites are reporting his death. Don’t know what to believe, and it is embarrassing and infuriating to post what seems to be valid information only to be informed 30-60 minutes later that none of it is true, just ignore it, it’s a hoax. FFS. This is cruel, not only to the subject of the reports, but to the hundreds of thousands of people who lived and admired him. Get it right, and don’t post until it’s confirmed. And I guess for people like me, just wait a week to make sure there are 10-12 separate reports before I mention an obituary. Jesus.

  35. 35.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @raven:

    I remember that. And there have been others even before Petty. I guess it means that no matter what RIP obituaries may show up on social media, we shouldn’t believe them for, what? at least the next 24 hours. Fuck that. If I want to grieve, I’m going to grieve whether the person is dead or not.

    P.S. I’m heartbroken that you’re going through this with Lil Bit. What a sadness.

  37. 37.

    Tazj

    So sorry. Gracie looks like she was a very sweet and cuddly cat, and smart too! “When she wanted to get up or be let out of the bedroom she would lick Grumpy’s eyes.” That’s funny, I’ll bet she got let out pretty quickly.

  39. 39.

    catpal

    So sorry for your loss. I understand as I will probably experience this soon and I am not ready. My cat has recently developed a big mass behind her neck and because she is 19 and has really slowed down this last year my vet is recommending to just keep her comfortable. The vet mentioned she has heard of this type of mass in that spot possibly forming because of vaccinations from when she was young.Anyone heard of this in a cat? For now I am happy she still wants to cuddle up to me.

  40. 40.

    Boudica

    My Lila is 16, too. She’s in pretty good shape and I’m hoping for more years. Our first cat was a tuxedo (Boo Boo Kitty) and he was an awesome cat. Condolences on your loss of Gracie.

  41. 41.

    Sally

    Sorry for your loss. My cat of 15 years passed away in July. I think of her every day. But I know she had a good life. So did yours.

  42. 42.

    Gin & Tonic

    @SiubhanDuinne: The Russian-language “Echo Moskvy” site has a short bulletin dated an hour ago that says he’s alive and laughing at the reports of his death. I’m not vouching for its accuracy, but since you don’t read Russian (AFAIK) I thought I’d pass that along.

  43. 43.

    dlwchico

    Gracie looks like she was a great cat. Sorry for your loss.

    This picture of a dog that got lost in the fires up here cropped up on my FB feed and made me think of Balloon Juice. Because there are so many animal lovers here and look at that face and because of Betty Cracker’s pictures of her boxers over the years.

  45. 45.

    spudgun

    Oh my, what a gorgeous girl! I’m so sorry, my condolences. I lost my Trixie girl in May, and I still miss her terribly – one is bad enough, I can’t imagine losing two kitties.

    My heart goes out to you —

    ETA: wow, after reading the comments, so many sick and lost pets this year for the Juicers! My heart goes out to ALL of you!

  46. 46.

    sacrablue

    What a sweet face, Good Girl Gracie. Condolences Ronnie Roo and GCM. Just one for sad event to ponder today. I am preparing myself to let our 14 year old meow muffin, Midnight, go tomorrow morning. Her battle with kidney failure is at an end. She doesn’t seem to be in pain and spent today sleeping in the sunshine. Our vet is expecting us before opening tomorrow.

  47. 47.

    zhena gogolia

    @SiubhanDuinne: @Gin & Tonic:

    I’m seeing the same thing G&T is. There was a false report that came to Komsomolskaya Pravda, but they have retracted it, and his wife tweeted that he’s alive and doing well.

  51. 51.

    Ruckus

    RonnieRoo and GCM Sorry for your loss. They always go way, way too soon.
    Gracie does look a lot like my roommates cat, Gray Gray which she had to put down about 6 weeks ago because of throat cancer. Gray Gray was about 15-16 yrs old, named by roommate’s daughter when she was around 6. The last cat I lived with would sleep on my feet so that when he wanted to go out, I would be the first to know. Because of course I had to be the one to let him out. And in winter, back in immediately.

  54. 54.

    Patricia Kayden

    Sweet kitty. Sorry for your loss. She had a great life which is all that matters now.

  55. 55.

    Ruckus

    @dlwchico:
    I know a lot of people up in that area. My friend had to get out yesterday morning before dawn. She has no idea if her house it still standing. But she was able to take her chihuahua Sweet Pee with her.

  59. 59.

    sacrablue

    Thanks, everyone. I’m letting her stay out until dark. Then she will snuggle with her person (my husband) for the rest of the night.

  60. 60.

    danielx

    Ever so sorry….hope she’s met on the other side of the rainbow bridge by Pie, Greg, CeeCee and Erik, ours who have moved on to cat heaven.

    Where the cream runs in streams and the mice run very slowly.

  62. 62.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Thanks.. no, I do not read Russian. I can barely make out the Cyrillic characters. As far as Dima is concerned, I honestly don’t know what to believe. There are sites saying definitively that he has died and others saying, No, look at his wife’s page, she says he’s still alive and well. I have no idea. Guess I’ll go with alive until told otherwise.

  63. 63.

    Spanky

    My deepest condolences on the loss of such a sweetheart. Both Poopyman and Lily were tuxedos, and they had such strong characters. I’d take another tux in an instant. Losing them is so hard, I know.

  64. 64.

    Catherine D.

    @catpal:

    Yes, cats can develop tumors (benign or otherwise) at injection sites. My vet warns me to check for lumps that persist longer than 6 to 8 weeks. Not sure if this is widespread practice, but the different shots are injected on the different quarters. I think rabies is right rear.

  65. 65.

    spudgun

    @sacrablue: I’m so sorry…I’m glad you are able to give your kitty a good last day. Sending comforting thoughts to you and hubby.

    Oh, boy, this thread is – oof, it’s suddenly become very dusty here…

  67. 67.

    A Ghost to Most

    Sorry about Gracie. Cats grace us with their presence.

    Sitting on my lap is a grey tuxedo, the smartest, by far, of all the cats we’ve known. Are all tuxedos smarter than average?

  69. 69.

    Mike in NC

    When I was single I had no interest in any pets/companions. Met my wife in 1990, when she had one very old indoor cat in her condo. Moved to a townhouse a few years later and got two rescue kittens. Moved to NC in 2007 and currently have three adorable ragdolls. Darn cats are addictive.

  70. 70.

    Ruckus

    @raven:
    Just spent a half hour looking for info on my friends house. She is very, very close to the fire on the south side of town. Hard to tell if she’ll have a home to go to when this is done. In looking I saw a lot of pics of animals, one cat was rather extensively burned, that boxer had burned paws and the shelter thought he might have smoke inhalation. How could he not?
    Lots of burned acres, est at 35,000 now, entire neighborhoods gone. Saw one house gone, the wooden patio furniture 12-15 ft away was untouched.
    ETA People wonder how come all the houses have burned, this is a huge fire, the winds were very strong, pushing embers, heat and fire along very rapidly. There isn’t enough water and firefighters in CA to have stopped this.

  72. 72.

    ThresherK

    Condolences from our home. My Madeline was also a hood + cape black over white cat, with some stray “Holstein” spots, and i think I see mixed black and pink toe beans?

  73. 73.

    RoonieRoo

    Thank you so much everyone. Grumpy and I have been reading the comments and it’s amazing how soothing they are. Just being able to express your grief with other pet/cat people helps more than can be imagined.

  74. 74.

    Elizabelle

    @sacrablue: Sleeping in the sunshine is a good last full day. My condolences.

    Goodnight Gracie. What a personality cat. She had a good life with you.

    Has been a rather shitty year, has it not?

  76. 76.

    Miss Bianca

    @A Ghost to Most: I don’t know about their being the smartest, but in my experience tuxies definitely have charm and mischief up the yin-yang. Adorable ain’t innit.

  77. 77.

    Ruckus

    @Spanky:
    Went to the Human Society once to look at cats, was going to adopt one. They took me into the room and this tux jumped off his butt and into my lap. Dude wanted a home so bad and he was a sweetheart. Then I started to have a terrible reaction. I’d never been allergic to cats before. I came back a couple days later and that same tux came up and pulled the same ploy on me again. If I’d have been able to breathe, I’d have found my cat. I got a dog. Old geezer cocker. Ornery bastard he was. But also a great friend. Two old ornery bastards, maybe we just understood each other. Still can’t tell which of us was Oscar and which was Felix.

  78. 78.

    danielx

    @A Ghost to Most:

    I don’t know about all tuxedo cats, but Natasha is definitely smarter than Boris. Which frankly does not involve a whole lot of heavy lifting on her part; he’s a handsome boy and enormously affectionate and social but he just ain’t bright. When he bats at the senior cat’s head while she’s eating and draws the predictable reaction, it’s understandable. When he does it for the third time and gets the same reaction (a claws-out bop to the noggin) certain conclusions become apparent.

    Must also note the obvious – they looked like this three months ago.

    Also too, Boris get off the keyboard and quit chasing the cursor! Okay, now he’s going to sleep with his head on the corner of the laptop. The things one puts up with for the sake of feline companionship…

  79. 79.

    J R in WV

    @dlwchico:

    That dawg’s picture made water spring onto my face! So sad. They don’t understand what’s happening. At least he wasn’t locked in a house that burned!

    So sorry for you loss, Gracie was a wonderful cat by all reports.

    @sacrablue:

    Sorry to hear about your sad plan, but glad Midnight will go peacefully in the morning. So sad to have to do that last most important task for our little fuzzy masters. Take care tomorrow.

    More dam water on my face, makes it so hard to type…. dammit.

  80. 80.

    sacrablue

    Thank you to everyone for your kind thoughts. Midnight had a happy 14 years being the boss cat, keeping both the felines and humans in line. She was a very good girl.

  81. 81.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    The title along with the pic were enough to bring tears. We’ve got two of those kind of good cats here. RIP you beautiful girl and peace to your family.

    ETA (sacrablue): Best wishes and thoughts to you and your kitty, Midnight. Our little furry family members own our hearts.

  82. 82.

    thalarctosMaritimus

    @RoonieRoo: I’m so sorry. From the photos, it’s clear she loved and was loved by you and GCM.

    @sacrablue: I’m sorry about Midnight, too. I’m glad she had a last nice day in the sun.

    Thank you all for giving them such good lives.

  83. 83.

    Captain C

    Gracie looks like a real sweetie. Jedi hugs.

    Also to you sacrablue. I just lost one to kidney failure (Kashmir) earlier this year.

  85. 85.

    hedgehog mobile

    So, so sorry for your loss. Many hugs. I will give our three feline overlords extra hugs tonight.

  87. 87.

    No One You Know

    Aww. My deepest condolences. She looks quite the sweetheart. Thank you for sharing the story and those gorgeous pictures. Gonna hug my fur people tonight and appreciate them while I am blessed with them.

  88. 88.

    satby

    Deepest condolences Ronnie Roo and GCM! Gracie was a beauty. I know how much you miss her and Mishka.

    sacrablue, peace and strength to you as you let Midnight go gently without suffering. It’s the final gift to them, hard as it is for us.

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