My boyfriend's family cat died. Socks was an amazing 22 years old and lived a great long kitty life. He spent his youth hunting all day on the family property. He endured my boyfriend's childhood torture without complaint and always had a raspy little meow and a nuzzle for anyone who happened to wander by. In his last years, Socks had become deaf and blind and was forced to become an indoor cat for his own safety. His condition continued deteriorating for quite some time. Recently his kidneys stopped working and he couldn't go to the bathroom. It was time for him to go and the decision was made to put him down. Socks will be missed, but knowing he is no longer suffering and scared is a comfort. Socks now has his energetic kitten legs back and can spend all day catching mice, without the threat of "little Niki".