A Life Well Lived

We had to put our Vincent to sleep today. A couple of days ago we came home to find him staggering a little, looking down and distressed. He was eating, so we put him to bed with us hoping he would get past it. The next day he went out, but hid under the deck and would not come out. He slept with us again, but did not move during the night. Today David took him to the vet and it was not fixable - he stayed with him and held him - Vincent passed peacefully with someone that loved him holding him - what more can you ask?

I'm sad, but because I miss him, not because of our decision. Vincent arrived on our front door step almost 15 years ago, about 2 or 3years old,starving and abandoned - his wounds were terrible. We had a wonderful, old school vet who worked on him after we agreed he would have a home with us and only charged us $64. Vincent spent the next few weeks recovering on our couch, so weak and in pain we carried him until he regained his strength. I would carry him in the laundry basket while I did stuff in the house with him peeping over the edge at everything around him. When he got well enough to climb the stairs he would come up in the middle of the night makng a lot of noise and drama and would park himself right between us, purring like a steam engine and marching around until he got yelled at and stuffed under the covers. He was Jackson's cat, how he loved him. Everywhere Jackson went so did Vincent, he would park himself everytime Jackson did. It took a long time for him to get used to Jackson being gone after his boy joined the Navy - but he did. He moved from house to house with us, he never strayed, was always home at night for dinner. From the day we picked him up off our porch he never suffered again, he was always fed, loved like he deserved, his life was sunshine and cat treats. When he took a turn for the worse the other night, we had him between us and it reminded me so much of when we first got him and he was finally recovered - the cold winter stars outside and Vincent happily purring, snuggled deep in the covers - just so glad to be there, it remains one of my favorite and fondest memories. And then I thought the other night - here we are again, Vincent between us. But he was not snuggling or purring, he was tucked up and leaving me. But as sad as that makes me - it's ok.  I am so glad we found him before it was too late  - I hope tonight he is with my Pearl, eating whatever he wants and running the Elysian fields til I get there. I miss you friend.