Well, Annie is still with us this morning.
But we realize she is failing. It’s been 5-1/2 months since we brought her home from a week in the emergency vet hospital, and thought she only had a few days to live. We were wrong. She’s had a good run. But we don’t want to sentence her to keep going, and that’s what it has become, I’m afraid. We have to do the right thing for her.
So please pay special attention to her appearances in this week’s photos. And send good thoughts. She’s been a very good cat. A fierce hunter who dispatched rats that seemed as big as she is. And a fighter for these months against this latest relentless foe, kidney failure.
So we’re preparing to say a final goodbye. I can tell you that practice doesn’t make this moment any easier.
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My Sixth grade teacher at Star of the Sea, Waialae (Kahala hadn’t expanded that far yet), Sr. Mary Winifred, loved cats. She was asked once if cats go to heaven. She replied that she was sure they did, explaining that we are promised we will be perfectly happy in heaven and she couldn’t be perfectly happy without her cats.
It’s never easy to let go of a pet. But we have an obligation to them to see that they don’t suffer needlessly.
Ian, you always know just what to say, and your description of Annie’s situation is exactly as it should be. Mu condolences. Joy and I have been there with our cats. You and Annie have my good thoughts.
Neal Milner
In Mid-April, biked by a “tuxedo” cat sleeping in a ball on a backstreet. Kept thinking about it. Went by later to see if still there. Was, at a distance. Left food on subsequent days and he became a friend in little time (no pets bldg where I live). Short part – infection on chest from a skirmish became infected. Cat friends advised. Got a cage; took to a almost-always-open clinic that is a processing plant it turned out. His care less that nurturing, so a next day visit found him with no improvement.
Still very sad for me, which I find so hard to explain, in the deciding to put him down. Think it the unique personality, which pet mills don’t have time to factor in.
Cats don’t come packaged alike. You gotta luv ‘um (unless ur a dog person).
It is remarkable how cats (and I assume dogs) can infiltrate our emotions and lives. My wife and I can bring forth laughter and tears thinking about our first cat, and the tears come from the hideously difficult but correct decision to end his life when he was afflicted with lung cancer. Godspeed Annie.
Ian: enjoy your cat stories. We adopted two of the little ones, if they could talk, would say: “Goodbye to Miss Annie, Rest in Peace in cat heaven.”
My heart aches for you and Meda and I know from experience that it never gets easier when this time comes.
But this is one thing we can do for our fur babies to ease the suffering.
Stay strong and much love from Himself and I.