Saying Goodbye
My dear sweet girl has been declining all summer, sleeping more, eating less. This past month, she has been chattier than usual, and spent much more time hanging out with me, like in the picture. She was never a lap cat, or a cuddly cat. She showed affection through proximity, vocalization, and purring. This past week, she stopped eating. Then she denned up in the bathroom, her "safe" space whenever the vacuum was in use. We brought her creature comforts in, set down some incontinence pads and took turns spending time with her. This morning while having a coffee in the living room, I heard a change in her breathing. I went in and laid down beside her, stroking her gently. Her breathing was ragged and labored. As minutes passed, the space between breaths got longer. I felt her heart laboring under my palm. Suddenly, she raised her head, stretching her face towards mine, and looking into my eyes. I kept talking softly to her. She settled again. Within a minute or so, she w...
