My last post is completely different from this post. However, I will try to include some positive somewhere in here.
The end of the 4fatcats era has come. I suppose it’s time to move on and redefine myself as a non-pet owner. For so long I was defined almost by the fact that I owned 4 cats. This evening I went to the vet for one last euthanasia, this time for Pia. I love the old girl. She’s been with me through so much. The dark ages with my ex-boyfriend from college, the trans-formative years when I was finally trying to figure out who I was, the dating years, the married years and lastly, the mommy years.
Often DH would play the “fire” game as he calls it where he’d ask, “If the house were on fire and all four cats were lined up equal distance from each other and you could only take ONE, which one would it be?” I’d decline to answer because I didn’t want to seem partial to one but the answer in my head was always “Pia”. But if anything I learned from Duzee, it was not to hold on too long. Surrender and let go.
Pia’s inner eyelid on her left eye was messed up and caused her grief. She had hypothyroidism like Duzee had and required medication every day. And to top that off, she was in desperate need of dental work making it hard for her to eat. To fix her up and continue medication would cost a good chunk of money which as everyone keeps telling me, just isn’t viable for an older cat like Pia (she was 16, would have been 17 in January).
For the past few months she had started crying at night and it had progressively gotten worse. Then she started going into the hallway between all of our bedrooms and crying which woke everyone up, including Monkey. It was clear she wasn’t well.
I hated making this decision but it’s the responsible thing to do. Farewell, Pia. I will always remember your super loud purr, your so very soft gray fur and the way you’d sit so elegant with your tail wrapped around you. I’ll remember when you were a kitten and would suckle on my ear at night and sleep under the covers with me. You’ve been a great companion and I will miss you dearly.
