And Now...

[porphyry]

...just to add the icing to this illness-brother hospitalization-illness-ice storm-illness-snowstorm-disrupted classes due to cancellations-icestorm-illness-car wreck-injured child-injured mother-snowstorm-four plagiarist students this term cake--

... my cat died.

I suppose I should take the long, philosophical view. He was sixteen-years-old, almost seventeen, so he'd had a long, happy life. Three or four days ago, I noticed he'd stopped eating and drinking, never good in a cat (or dog, either). He would be tempted by nothing, and nothing is more pitiful than to watch an animal try to take a drink--want to take a drink, badly--and be unable to. He didn't appear to be in pain, but I couldn't take watching him like this anymore. Today he went to the veterinarian and we learned his kidneys were shutting down. We let him go.

He was a sweet cat--more like a dog than a cat, actually; friendly, affectionate, faithful even. We will miss him very much.

Comments

[benicek.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid we are gerbils and we are afraid of cats, even dead ones.

[malkhos.livejournal.com]

You can always make me laugh! And, gosh, I sure do appreciate that right now, more than you know.

Now, gerbils, Billy was a very friendly cat and wouldn't have harmed a hair on your heads. Likely he would have tried to just play with you! But of course you are so small, it's natural to be afraid of cats, even friendly ones.