I called my veterinarian's office this morning after having had very little sleep and waking to more poop on the floor and a highly irrate Dadcat. I fed her, after she whiskey-meowed (yes, her pretty bell-like meow had been gone for over a year, now) her needs. Or that's what I had been deluding myself they were.
The cyst on her tail was truly getting out of proportion, and it was not likely she could survice removal surgery (although I had located someone who would have taken care of it). She weighed about 6-7 lbs on a good day, was very bow-legged, and very skinny.
The girl at the vet's was going to schedule me later in the day, but I wanted to do it while I could (mentally). Soshe told me to come on in around 8:45. I got there at 8:30. Funny, she didn't resist getting put in the carrier, but she fussed once I closed it and took her down to the car. Dadcat had tears in his eyes as he hugged me and told me I was doing her a kindness.
I took her out of the carrier (she was wrapped in the sweater she had been sleeping on) and held her in the reception room. She stoped fussing and purred. She never meowed once, when we went into the room, when the vet examined her, when I lay her on my sweater. He confirmed what Dad's been telling me all along, that she was failing, fast. So I got on my knees, as she lay peacefully on my sweater, not the least upset or fidgety! She looked at me, then just looked ahead, as he gave her the sweet dreams injection. As she lay ther, nose to nose with me, the nurse put a beautiful coral gernamium by her chin. She dosed off, her little tongue peeked out, and she was gone. He satayed with us for about five minutes, and we talked, then they left me alone with her to say good-bye. She felt like she was still purring, which is the muscles relaxing, I know. I called them back in, and he gently lifted my sleeping Grasshopper, and the nurse took her in her arms, and I said OK, go ahead and go.
She has been with me since November of 1986.
I will miss her.
I am so grateful for the loving way my Grasshopper was escorted to the Rainbow Bridge.
Thank you so much for your words of comfort.
I thank God for Pet Talk.