Absent Friend
A month ago, I put my cat down.
My wife brought him home on a snowy November evening, a long time ago. She had found him at work, a good 1/4 mile from the nearest house, a tiny, long haired, affectionate kitten. He became the cat teacher, the king of our household cats. He taught a good half dozen other kittens how to be a cat, over time. He was mine because my wife always latches on to the new kitten/cats, and I pay attention to the old ones.
He was 17. And rapidly failing. Incontinent, rear legs unsteady, able to eat only soft food, and even then he would vomit as often as not. And, he didn't teach the newest kitten. So, it was his time.
I took him to the shelter, and stroked him while they (the vet and assistant) overdosed him with pentathol. He didn't seem to suffer, just fight against the sting of the needle. Then he relaxed, and shortly, stopped breathing, as did his heart. He's buried out back. He loved catnip, so we put some in with him. He also loved coffee beans, celery and french fries. Go figure.
My daughter named him before my son was born. His name was Kazoo.
May he play forever in the catnip fields of Elysium.
My wife brought him home on a snowy November evening, a long time ago. She had found him at work, a good 1/4 mile from the nearest house, a tiny, long haired, affectionate kitten. He became the cat teacher, the king of our household cats. He taught a good half dozen other kittens how to be a cat, over time. He was mine because my wife always latches on to the new kitten/cats, and I pay attention to the old ones.
He was 17. And rapidly failing. Incontinent, rear legs unsteady, able to eat only soft food, and even then he would vomit as often as not. And, he didn't teach the newest kitten. So, it was his time.
I took him to the shelter, and stroked him while they (the vet and assistant) overdosed him with pentathol. He didn't seem to suffer, just fight against the sting of the needle. Then he relaxed, and shortly, stopped breathing, as did his heart. He's buried out back. He loved catnip, so we put some in with him. He also loved coffee beans, celery and french fries. Go figure.
My daughter named him before my son was born. His name was Kazoo.
May he play forever in the catnip fields of Elysium.