Sigh- our 14 year old kitty, Smudgie, passed away last night. She had been getting weaker and thinner for some time. We helped her get through a recent infection with antibiotics, and she bounced back for a few weeks, but turned a sad corner over the last few days, had troubling moving and stopped eating.

It's doubly sad because my daughter's cat Ya Ya disappeared inexplicably about 3 weeks ago. (The animals had a pet door and came and went as they pleased). We don't know whether she was taken or something happened to her- she just didn't come home and the neighbors didn't see her either.

We're now a "one pet child" family. I wonder if my son's dog misses the kitties? Especially Ya Ya, a very social Siamese who seemed to enjoy the dog's company ....