A Sad Day

I won't post about stitching today, but wanted to post about my mother's beautiful cat, Grampy, who will probably be put to sleep this afternoon. Grampy, whose real name is Kody, is a cancer patient, but his cancer has most likely come back, and my mom does not want to have him suffering.

Kody has been in our family for the past 13 years. He came my senior year of high school, to be a companion for my beautiful Dana-dog, who loved kitties and needed something more her size to relate to. Kody was apparently a cat who believed in the adage, God helps those who help themselves, because he came into my aunt's house in an ice storm. How could we let a cat who so desperately wanted a home go to the pound? So he came home.

He was a good pal for my Dana. They played games we never understood, and when she crossed the rainbow bridge in 1999, it affected him. We didn't know how much til we brought home Chanson (Chancey's real name), and he hated her. But they came to an accord. He also ended up with Felix Anne at the same time. I always figured he thought we took his good friend and left him with two young eejits. But they made life work, and over the years, he became the wise old King Kitty.

In 2005, my parents moved in with me, and Kody came along. I don't know if he really wanted to come along. My cats certainly didn't want him there. Lily downright hated him, Gussie could not understand why Grampy had to come and pick fights. Only Felix loved him. Grampy hadn't been a good partner for him when my parents had Felix. Flicky loved him, and Grampy used to beat him up. I guess he was trying to show him his place. But they all managed to come to an agreement on how to live. Gus allowed him to imagine he was still King of the House, Lily cursed him when he got out of line, and Felix was patient. Grampy even made sure that our Nikki knew that he was the once and future King--claws have a way of confirming that.

We knew that Grampy was aging and that he would one day leave us. In late 2006, he was diagnosed with skin cancer and lost his ear. We decided that wasn't so bad, he couldn't see his ear, and he was still regal. He was declared cured, and then yesterday, after a few weeks of him just not being Kody, my mom took him to the vet, who has discovered masses.

I know he will be across the Rainbow Bridge, and his sister will be there for him. I know they've missed each other. I knew this would happen at some point. Part of loving our pets is giving them back to God when the time he's loaned them to us is up. And I know he deserves a good place to go. I'll just miss him.