On Tuesday, while I was at work for my endless long day (8:30 am to 7:30 pm), Mom had to take my cat Vincent to the vet to have him put to sleep. He'd been ill with chronic kidney failure for a long time, and I knew he was going downhill this week, but I'd hoped this wasn't the end. Unfortunately, on Tuesday around noon he stopped even being able to walk. It was time, and Mom was so nice to take the responsibility when I wasn't able to come home and make the decision myself.
Fortunately, before I left for work on Tuesday I'd spent a quarter of an hour sitting on the couch with Mom, Vincent between us, both of us petting him. He was the most outgoing, people-oriented cat I'd ever met. Right to the very end, Mom said he was happy at the attention from her, her friend Cindy who went with her for moral support, and from the vet and the vet's assistant.
I'm now petless for the first time in almost 15 years. I don't plan to have any indoor pets again, or at least not right away. My beloved Newfoundland dog Jasper died in November of '08, my sweet cat Angel died on August of '09, and now Vincent is gone too. It's too much all at once to think about going through this ever again.
We buried Vincent next to Angel's and Jasper's graves and planted a fern on top. The bluebells are coming up on Jasper's grave, the sea oats are coming up on Angel's. Later this spring, I will plant rue.
12 comments:
I'm sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you and your mum.
I'm very sorry. Pets are so special and make up a large part of our lives.
Very sorry to hear about your cat. It was very good of your mum to do that, I'm sure it was difficult for her. It's nice that you can have all three so close at hand.
BT--Thanks. I think Mom is missing him at least as much as I am. She adored that cat.
Ann--He was a great cat. It's hard to believe he's gone.
Alan--Mom was amazing. When I got home, we just hugged each other and cried.
Pets are such vital members of our families. Sorry about Vincent.
Take care.
You have my condolences. Losing a pet is so hard. After my first dog died, I went nine years before getting another dog because I couldn't deal with the thought of experiencing that loss again. When that one died unexpectedly, I was a total wreck.
*HUGS* I'm so sorry about Vincent.
Oh gosh, sorry to hear that. Sending *hugs* across the ocean.
Aaron--Thanks.
Jameson--That's exactly how I am right now. I've already sworn I won't get another dog.
Nat and Cate--Thanks, both of you.
So sorry to hear this. A good cat is a lifelong friend.
Vincent was a mixture of all the best things about cats and the best things about dogs. He spent so much of his life around my dog Jasper, I think he thought he was part dog.
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