Tony Shop Catsa

Toners
Outside Raleighwood, NC
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It snowed Friday night, a somewhat rare event for this part of the South. The fact that we got between five and seven inches made it even more rare.

Saturday we stayed in, huddled up against the cold. Today we ventured out to run some errands, get some healthy, nutritious-packed foods and took a long walk around our local park. The front gates were locked, but that obviously hadn't stopped a good many people before us from parking around the gates and walking through all of the standard, yet very snow-covered paths.

Tony, one of our original five cats, is not well. So not well that tonight will be his last night with us. He's stopped eating, stopped drinking and has stayed in the same position on the bed (atop an electric blanket) all day long. Back at the end of November we learned that he had an obstruction at the end of his bowels that made defecating difficult. His bloodwork all looked really good and we had hoped that between a mild steroid and a stool softener that he'd be okay.

And he was for a while. Then, about two or three weeks ago, he started going downhill. In the last few days, the downward progress has been very swift. If he makes it through the night, we'll take him to the vet's tomorrow morning and have them end his suffering.

Bonn can't handle being there during the last moments; it's one of the responsibilities I take on. I understand Bonn's fears and don't begrudge her at all. I know that, for me, part of truly loving someone else, means being with them through the good and the bad, through the laughter of life to the last sigh, the last breath.

I've told Toners that he's loved, that I'm sorry for how his early years turned out, that it's okay to let go of this failing body of his. Bonn felt Tigger's presence very strongly the other day, so we're hoping that Tigg and Hader are coming to lead him up to The Crab Shack.

The picture of him, above, is how I will chose to remember him. Big, strong, a bright light in his eyes. Energy just waiting to be expended in joy, but taking the time to indulge me for a moment with my pesky camera.



I'll be back in a few days, starting my 28 in 28 list from keirf, likely posting multiple entries on a single day. For now, at least, I think I'll take the day off tomorrow.

Hug your four-legged friends one extra time today, okay?

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