Death in the family

I had to have my cat Cleo put down last night. At 14 1/2, she was suffering from kidney failure and had lost so much weight in such a short period of time. The best I can guess, she had not eaten food for well over a week.

I got Cleo 4 1/2 years ago from my cousin. They had two cats and a son. Cleo was skittish of their son but Princess didn't find Jordan annoying her. Just before my cousin and his wife had their second child, Princess died. Now Cleo, who would spend hours hiding from Jordan until he went to bed, would want to play. But with a new baby and all, it was too hard to keep Cleo happy.

I'm not a cat person. I love dogs. But, I could not see Cleo being put down or going elsewhere, so I agreed (along with my landlord) that I could take her. At first it was difficult for both of us. Me, who had lived all alone over the years, and Cleo in a new, much smaller house.

But she somehow got into my heart. I will miss her meowing, her sleeping on my chest when I watch TV, her tendancy to bug me when I'm on the phone or typing at the computer. I will miss her more than I ever thought I would.

Would I get another cat? Probably not. But life is funny. And at the end, very sad.

I held her, and cried like I never thought I would, as she slipped away. I will treasure that. I may not have been there when she entered into this world, but I was glad I was here when she drifted out.