Saying Farewell

Posted on May 8, 2025

For the last thirteen years my closet companion has been my orange tabby cat. He came to me soon after my first major romantic breakup and got me through the emotional turmoil during that time. He’s gotten me through quite a few lows and quite a few highs during my lifetime. Oftentimes he would be the one that I would talk to the most. I could safely tell him things and he’d never criticized me. (Not that cats can talk of course.) He is the sweetest cat that I ever knew, even given the fact that I grew up with cats since I was 10 years old. He loved to sit on laps and he would race to the door just to see if he could “escape” and then make a beeline for the lobby. It feels like 13 years was not enough time with him as I adopted him when he was approximately 2-3 years old. 

My sweet orange tabby cat had been sick on and off since Thanksgiving and went from being an overweight cat to being several pounds underweight. He stopped eating his food and would only eat a few very select things. It was painful to watch my friendly lap cat become more quiet and spending more time hiding. Neither I nor the veterinarian who saw him know for sure what caused this but the vet stated that it could be “possible cancer” once the lab results were reviewed.

So this past Monday I took him to the vet’s office for a quality of life appointment. I was pretty sure what I would hear but I kept hoping for good news. I was told it was in my cat’s best interest to be put to sleep. I didn’t want him to suffer any more but it so hard and sad for me. I didn’t think I would cry but I was crying during the vet appointment. I know it was painless and the process was over before I knew it. I now have his paw print to remember him by.

The apartment is so empty since he’s not here. His toys, food and all his other belongings are still here. I think I’m okay but then it hits me that he is gone and not coming back to me. The best thing I can do is to keep busy with work and cleaning. I can also reach out to friends and family when I am struggling and feel lonely.