Today I had to put my cat to sleep.
We picked up Missy as a stray on a wet winter day in Denver in 2001. She was a friendly black and white cat with a few missing teeth and sharp claws. She immediately dominated and terrified our other three cats but was friendly and nice to her humans. Eventually, she got along fairly well with Spencer and Kooshie but she always had a special disdain for Maggie. Although missing a lot of teeth and pretending to only eat soft food, she would craftily steal french fries and Doritos.
When Boo came along, Missy was an amazing and wonderfully patient cat for the baby to play with. She tolerated, and almost seemed to enjoy, wet sloppy kisses, pulled tails, and baby poking and prodding the cat. Doodle and Missy also got along very well. She would plop down in his “path of terror” and he would plop down right on top of her. As recently as this weekend, Doodle would roar with laughter at Missy flicking her tail at a rambunctious two-year old.
When my wife left in March, Missy was often in my lap or on my chest purring and comforting me. She made a house that was suddenly way too big and too quiet seem cozy, comfortable, and warm.
A few weeks ago, I noticed her appetite begin to wane. She wasn’t begging for food the moment I got home and wasn’t jumping up on my lap anymore. She’d still climb into Boo’s bed when I went to wake her in the morning and would still tip the trash over when I forgot to lock it up. When I brushed her last week, she didn’t fight as hard and I managed to escape without scratches for the first time.
This weekend, it finally clicked to me that something was seriously wrong. Her food was sitting untouched and her litter box was going unused. Her belly was distended and hard. I took her to my vet this afternoon and an x-ray found her belly was full of fluid and some of her blood chemistry was out of whack. The possibilities ranged from dire to moderate illness that at the very least would require a lot of testing and treatment. She needed a lot more work than a simple round of antibiotics. Reluctantly, we decided that the best course was to put her to sleep.
Boo and I spent a few minutes saying goodbye and my daughter comforted me.
We’ll miss you, Missy.
Sleeping on the Elmo Chair.
Stealing an expensive steak. I won that round.
Playing with Boo.
Saying goodbye (yes, Boo took this picture).
One last cuddle.
