After Diana: Finding Our Way Back to Aries’ Blog
The last time I wrote here, I told you about Diana—Aries’ mother—and what it was like to care for her after a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease. At the time, our veterinarian had warned us that we might have only a few weeks. Diana surprised us. We had roughly six or seven more months with her than we thought we would.
I wish I could tell you that was enough time. Diana left this world in July 2025, and I haven’t been ready to write about it here until now.
When you love an animal through an illness, your days can become a rhythm of watching, adjusting, hoping, and trying to understand what they need. I wanted Diana to be comfortable. I wanted to give her every good day we could.
After we lost her, I replayed parts of that time and wondered if there was something else I should have seen or done. I was fully aware of what Chronic Kidney Disease does to a cat. I knew of the importance of hydration and of the warning signs to look for, but I didn’t see the changes in her until it was quite late. Diana was a spicy kitty, a formerly ‘feralish’ girl who learned to trust us. Because she sometimes kept her distance, I didn’t notice her symptoms for a while. With that still comes a guilt to process. I’m still learning how to hold those feelings alongside the knowledge that we cared for her and were grateful for every extra day.
I also stepped away from this blog. Some of that was grief. Some of it was the need to put my energy elsewhere for a while. Writing about cat care and the joy of life with Aries felt different after losing his mom. I didn’t want to return with a cheerful update that skipped over what had happened, or with a promise that I had suddenly figured everything out.
But Aries has continued to be Aries.
He wants to see what’s around the next corner. He enjoys meeting people, being out in the world, and taking in places I might otherwise hurry past. When I take him somewhere, I often think I’m the one showing him the world. Then I watch someone meet him, see their face change, and realize he has brought something to that moment, too.
Diana raised him in this house. I see a connection between the care we gave her at home and the life Aries is so eager to share outside it. Both have made me pay closer attention: to what a cat is telling us, to the time we have together, and to the people whose day might be changed by a small encounter.
That’s the direction I want to take this space now. I’ll share Aries’ adventures and the people he meets. I’ll write about living with and caring for cats, including the practical choices that can help them feel safe and understood as their needs change. And I’ll make room for the quieter parts of these relationships—the worry, the ordinary routines, the laughter, and the love that continues after a goodbye.
I can share what we’ve experienced, keep learning, and point to qualified help when a question needs a veterinarian. Most of all, I want this to be a place where we can be honest about how much these animals matter to us.
If you were here when I first wrote about Diana, thank you for coming back. If you’re meeting Aries and me for the first time, welcome. I’m glad you’re here to get to know Diana’s son and follow where he leads us next.
With love,
Tracy
If a cat has changed your life, I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
6 Comments
David · September 21, 2026 at 12:41 pm
Thank you for sharing your story and experience. It’s always so hard to lose a friend/pet, especially when you feel you could have done more. I’m so glad that carrying for Diana was able to bring Aries to the public and the joy we feel from his adventures! Best wishes to you and your family and even though I’m late, Godspeed to Diana. I know she still lives and is happier than ever in heaven.
Tracy Michelle · September 21, 2026 at 2:55 pm
Thank you so much for your kind words. It affected me so strongly and now I realize Aries’ story really is made to be told. She was such a great mama kitty to him and others. She let me know when it was time for her to go and I am so thankful for each day I had with her.
Shonna Underwood · September 21, 2026 at 1:45 pm
I understand what it is to care for sick kitties. I know in caring for them how close you come to them. I have have cared for several cats with various illnesses which eventually caused them to lose their battle. One was Jane a 3 year old female that developed ckd at a young age. My veterinarian figured her kidneys did develop correctly as a baby. We had her about a month after diagnosis. Another was Gizzy a unique beautiful tabby. She was pancreatic cancer with diabetes. She was with us 5 months after diagnosis. She managed to gain some of her weight back but never to were she was before. Then unknown seizures started . One day here blood sugar dropped to 25 and doing everything I had been instructed to I still couldn’t bring it back up. She was seizuring so I knew my time with her had come to an end and it was time to give her peace. I still cry over both of them along with the others now gone.
Their page is RocknUFarmkitties on Facebook . Thank you for listening to my grief.
Tracy Michelle · September 21, 2026 at 2:58 pm
Thank you so much for caring for those kitties. They deserved love and compassion and you gave it to them. It is so difficult to learn that they won’t have a longer healthier life, yet while they are here, they bring out so much in us as humans, too.
Mandy · September 22, 2026 at 2:47 pm
Your post brought tears to my eyes. I’ve loved your posts on Ares’ adventures and all he gets up to. Please hold the love for Diana close and know you did all you could for her. I know the cost and the love of caring for a chronically sick pet. I know the missed events and family gatherings. I know the isolation of people not understanding it.
Tracy Michelle · September 22, 2026 at 3:25 pm
Thank you so much. She was so special. She came to me as Aries’ feralish mom. After 10 months, I was able to pet her. By the time she got sick years later, someone had come in to my life that she absolutely adored. He developed a special relationship with her, too, and adjusted his schedule to spend more time with her. Seeing the love that Diana brought out in someone else changed my perspective. It warmed my heart to learn that someone could come to understand the reason we care so much.
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