Goodbye Sweet Buffett

[Blueberry]

We've had a very rough pet year. We lost our Maltese in March, and today we had to put our 11 year old kitty to sleep.

We adopted Garfield and Buffett from a shelter when they were just 3 weeks old. We bottle fed them, and nursed them through upper respiratory infections. We were in college - really still kids ourselves when we got them. Buffett was always the sweet, dainty little kitty. A grey tabby, with very soft fur who loved to meow and be petted. We called her the self petting cat. She loved everyone and everyone loved her. And she always greeted us when we came home. If the didn't greet us, it meant there was a "Buffalump" - she would tunnel under the covers (without disturbing them) and go to sleep. The only sign would be a lump under the covers. It was adorable. She and her brother would sleep in a little circle - orange on one side, gray on the other.

She had been sleeping a lot - my cats always do that in the fall. On Thursday morning, we noticed she was a little wobbly. On Friday morning, she was very weak, and her gums were white. I took her to my vet, and they immediately referred her to NC State Veterinary School. She had leukemia. Not feline leukemia, the virus, but effectively the same version people get. It's very rare in cats, and there weren't really any treatment options. After a long telephone call to my vet last night, we decided not to treat her. The treatment options, such as they were, had a very poor prognosis, and would have meant lots of time boarded for her - for maybe an extra week or 2 of life. We put her to sleep today - she had weakened so much since last night (she was panting by the time we got her to the vet), but her last day was sleeping in the sunshine. For the last 24 hours of her life, someone was always petting her.

My house seems so empty right now. And somehow I have to pack and get on a plane in the AM.

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

Rest in peace, little Buffett. We were privileged to share our life with you.

[mary9761]

Hugs and kitty nuzzles from my two (Whiskers and Friskey) and I. I'm so sorry, having been there with my Smokey, I know how hard a decision it is to let go. She'll be waiting for you at The Rainbow Bridge looking forward to seeing you again some day.

[redrhodie]

I'm so sorry, CA. You made the right decision. Poor kitty. I know she had a good life because she was yours.

[oxysback]

I'm so sorry for your loss, CA.

[pardes]

I'm sorry for your sadness. Sweet Buffett takes lovely memories of you to paradise. It's small comfort now, I know, but, as you know, the sadness of loss soon blossoms as the sweet memories return.

I often think that the very long line of dogs I've had have found each other and will be there together to greet me when it's my turn to take my sweet memories of life with me to paradise.

[crazycanuck]

Awww Poor kitty..

(((CA )))