At 7:20 this morning our cat Winnie lost her long battle with illness. In August of 2007 our vet had discovered a large tumor in her abdomen and said that she didn’t have long to live. We debated euthenasia, but she still seemed to have so much life left.
In September of that year we had given Winnie a premature eulogy here when she disappeared for about a week. She came back in very bad shape just as we were leaving for a trip to Washington State. Somehow she pulled through.
Her last year of life was probably the best of all of her previous ten years. She seemed to feel more comfortable around us, and would curl up with us as we sat in the living room in the evenings. Rather than running at the first sign of humans, she stuck around to see what was going on.
She was showing so much life that we continued to let her come and go as she pleased. Two nights ago she stopped coming home for dinner in the evenings and we knew she was sick again. Yesterday she stopped eating completely and started losing strength. Her last night was spent curled up first in Laura’s mother’s lap, then in Laura’s lap.
Winnie will be missed, but she died peacefully and quickly at home. We didn’t have to agonize over putting her down. This is one time where the cliche’ “It was for the best” was truly appropriate.
Winnie is survived by her adopted feline siblings, Shadow, Rascal, and Misty.
So sorry to hear of Winnie’s passing. Happy, though, to hear the last year of her life was so well. As a guy with an aging mutt, I know how important pets can be to a home and family.
I€™m sorry for your family€™s loss. The paradox of loving an animal is that you certainly HOPE to outlive them, but the pain when you DO is hard to bear. I€™m glad Winnie€™s last year was a good one. She knew she was loved, and you knew she appreciated it.
Sorry that you have lost a loved one. You wrote a beautiful story and I’m sure Winnie was happy til the end.