On Friday, January 8th at about 5:10 pm, Cornelius took his leave. He was very sick and not having any fun, so I chose to think about him rather than keep him with me, I wanted to more than you know.
Who knew that cats and dogs could get human diseases? He had epilepsy and diabetes. They didn't leave him alone and the cure was more than I had. So watching him go from a big old' boy to 7 lbs. was more than I could bear.
It was scheduled for Tuesday at 5pm, but I found a clinic that was 1/3 the cost so I had a reprieve of a little over 3 days from one appointment to the last one, so I got to spend some quiet time with him. On Friday, the clinic had a nice room where we were alone for about 30 minutes.
We snuggled on the couch and then he was sedated. He was my little stoned buddy for about 15 minutes. When she came in for the end, I made sure from her that he could not see me or hear me leave, then said "I love you buddy" and chose to leave him in her care for the final shot. They were lovely ladies and I get him back today. I have a pretty tin with spring flowers on it all ready, and I am going to keep some of him in a small little bottle.
I know he wasn't a person so there is no comparison. But, I have not yet cried. The dam will no doubt break at some point, but I keep stoic so I can take care of business and reflect on why he had to leave so soon. I donated all his things to the folks in my park. I made this frame and am posting some of his last photos. Some are sad as he was very weak and ready to go.
He gave me 5 years of the best CatPanionship there was. He was always ready to curl up for a great photo op, got in my way when I needed to work, head booped me to mark me as his own, and was the best snuggle buddy at night. No matter how bad a day was, it ended with his chin on my hand.
But, soon he will move into that wonderful place where Cujo and Buddy, Quill and Kizzy, Salsha and Judy, Sabastian and Boo Boo, and all the critters I have loved and shared and said goodbye to reside. He will have great company.
But, for now he will also be my last. Many believe I should never let the loss outweigh the love. And they are probably right.
I just know that I will keep that funny face as a reminder that I could never find another like him so I am not going to try.
Sandi/PBP
Check out these photos.
Diana was nineteen years old when she finally spent her ninth life. She was a striped tabby. I got her from a friend when we were both in the sixth grade!
Dex is 3 months old, he's just a regular lil Kitten. I looked up free kittens on KSL and went to save him from Crazy House.
Chop-Chop is 2 years old. He is a Tabby Cat. A pregnant stray cat arrived at our house and gave birth to Chop-Chop we now have him and his mum and they love each other.
Millie is 1 year and 2 months old. I'm not sure what kind of cat she is, but she's just crazy. She was given to my fiance and I in April 2010 by one of my mom's co-workers.
Zelda is an American shorthair tabby with gray, black and white strips. I adopted her from a rescue shelter (King Street Cats) six years ago, and she has has been through a lot with me.
I have fostered him thru our Humane Society since he was about 8 days old. He loves to play with jingle balls and chase the laser light.
Bobby is a 7 1/2 year old brown Tabby. My granddaughter brought him to me when he was 16 months old.
I rescued Shaka from a drainage ditch on the side of the road. I heard a car pull up in front of my friend''s home. The passenger threw a carton into the deep drainage ditches we have on our road.
Emma is a 9 weeks old. After our cat Zoey passed away about 1 1/2 yeas ago it took me some time before I was ready to get another pet, but my 5 year old really wanted to have a new kitten.
My daughter and I got Smokey from a friend who had adopted a stray cat, only to find out it was a soon-to-be-momma stray cat!
Bobby is a 7 year old brown tabby born in January 2005. My granddaughter called, and knew someone who was moving, and couldn't take him with her. I didn't want another cat, because 3 years earlier, my other 2 cats had passed away 7 weeks apart.
These are two little kittens were born to a stray mom that my neighbor took in and now cares for.
Our dog passed away and we were moving into a new house. We decided that we needed a little company, so we found a shelter house near by and adopted him.
Shassy is a 16 month old Heinz 57 cat. We got him from an ad in the paper. He terrorizes my dogs, especially my little guy. Shassy adapted perfectly into our lives. He's my "door sitter" whenever I let the dogs out.
Juicy is a 2 year old mixed breed. Someone left her in my yard as a small kitten 2 years ago. Juicy will chase anything that moves and loves to run and jump into my piles of newly raked leaves.
This is Leaf. Leaf is 8 years old. He is just an ordinary tabby cat. My cat Tailer had Leaf. Leaf likes to swing from my Halloween decorations I put in a tree and sleep. Leaf is very sweet and loving. If you give him temptations cat treats you'll have a friend for life.
Missy Moo is 18 months old. She is a gray Tabby with lovely soft fur. I got her from the RSPCA (a rescue Organization like your ASPCA) as a companion for my mum. Mum lives with me now and finds it hard to show emotion, so I thought she could give love to Missy Moo.
We adopted our cat, Squirrel, nearly 2 years ago after someone chased her out from under a car using a power washer and damaged her eye.
