Barney Good-Bye. [View all]

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Last edited Wed Jan 15, 2020, 05:33 AM - Edit history (2)

We had to send Barney, one of our two black-and-white harlequin cats on his way today. Took him to the vet because he'd been having a couple of very hard weeks, and a decline of several more weeks before that. He started losing the standard ability to eat and to eliminate. He’d lost a noticeable amount of weight and I realized with a jolt that I could now feel every bone in his spine, where he had been nice ‘n’ fat and well-padded. He used to be built like a four-legged linebacker.

The diagnosis this morning was as bad as we feared. The X-ray showed cancer everywhere you looked and some serious blockages in the least opportune places. And I noticed him walking with a slight limp just yesterday. So we helped him to the Rainbow Bridge.

Barney is probably getting reacquainted with Goldie, our dog, who headed off that way last July 12th. Our little-old-lady tabby cat dB left us in 2018. They all knew each other for quite a few years. And I’m trying to remind myself that Barney’s not in any pain anymore. Helps me think it’ll somehow help easing my own heartache (well, sounds good anyway). He'd been acting like he was hurting for a little while lately.

Barney was 12-something. Got him and Betty as itty bitty litter mates in late summer 2008. They were the two little ones huddled together in the middle of the floor of a very large, tall kitten enclosure. There had to be 15-18 kittens in there, exploring every inch of the place, every climbing tree and multi-level scratching post, they were all over the place, and here were those two cuddling together, oblivious to all the activity around them. We didn’t have the heart to separate them so we took ‘em both.

I'm a mess. Husband is hanging in there a little better than I am. Already warned our kids if they try to call me and I don't pick up, that'll be why. They understand, as I know they do. Significant others also.
Even when you objectively suspect it's coming, that doesn't make it any easier.

Pouring out my heart about it here does help a little. Love your fur babies. Hold them close. Take this moment. Now. While they’re with you. They never last as long as we want them to.

We’ll always love you, Boonito.