Obituary of Dora Sim
Dora made us a family when we adopted her in 2007 from DCAC. We sought her out after seeing her sweet photo on PetFinder and brought her home to our Drexel Hill Apartment. She was a cautious and curious cat so we named her “Dora” as in Dora the Explorer.
She lived a long life of 18 years, and we were blessed to have her. Gentle, quiet, polite, loyal, and loving are just some words to describe her sweet soul. Never begging for attention or treats, she gave more than she took. She was in tune with our feelings and would give extra attention to us when we were sick by sitting on us or standing at the kids’ bedroom door to alert us that something wasn’t right.
Dora liked to lay on our legs, rather than our laps. Her favorite toys were shiny and crinkly and she loved aluminum foil balls. Her meow was more of a trill, and she made funny clicking noises when she saw birds…we think she wanted to eat one! With her slender stature and unique meows we wondered if she might be part Egyptian Mau.
Even with our ever changing life – the addition of her cat sister Roxy, moving to Media, the birth of our son and daughter – she remained a loyal constant source of love in ALL of our lives. Our daughter, Rosalie, now 10 formed a special bond with Dora, petting her and talking to her, even referring to Dora as her “Diary”. More recently Dora bonded with 7 yr old Elliott, sat on him, and reached out her paws to him. He loved to pet her too.
The vet always commented on how healthy she was when in for her regular visits and she was spritely even into her 18th year of life. It seemed like she would live forever. In the last couple of years she developed a chronic bowel and kidney issue which required special food and many medications which she dutifully took with no issue. She was a creature of habit and would remind me if I was an hour or so late with her meds.
Working from home it was nice to have a companion, and we spent everyday together. I would relish the times she slept on my legs, and she’d sometimes put me to sleep too. She was Dave’s special cat and loved his pets and when he would sing to her. She passed peacefully in our bed at his feet in the night.
Some people think pets are just pets, but it’s more than that. They are blessings or angels from God put into our life to teach us something. She taught our family about giving and loving unconditionally, even in the midst of change. She taught us to slow down and rest. We hope she knows how important she was in our lives. We love you and miss you so much!
