Saying Goodbye ...

I read once that time passes very quickly when we own cats and all too soon it will be time to say goodbye. Saying goodbye is the most difficult thing of all about being a cat owner. Well, in 2000 we had to say goodbye to our great cat Harry.  It was one of the saddest times of my life.  Harry got very ill with liver cancer. We kept him at home and spoon feed him for as long as we could until it was very clear that his time to pass was very near.  He was peacefully put to sleep while in my arms.  We buried him with some of his favorite toys on my husband's family farm under a cherry tree that we bought and planted in his memory.

Nine years later and tears still come to my eyes when I think of my good boy.  We have had many cats since then, but none like our Harry.  I hope when my time on earth is done there will be a few who will think of me as kindly as I think of Harry. I have always felt so fortunate that Harry was ours and that we adopted him.

There are some things I've learned about caring for aging cats since then and I will pass them along. Brush and massage your cat often. Elderly cats aren’t able to groom themselves as they once used to, and they will appreciate a tender, loving touch. Have a night-light or leave some lamps burning with 25 watt bulbs so your cat can find her litter box, food and water bowls, and you more easily at night. Put a warm, draft-free bed at floor level so she doesn’t have to climb or jump to take her nap. If your cat sleeps with you, get a stepping stool for her so that she doesn't have to jump and jar her arthritic bones.Gently massage, or simply hold, her frail body whenever you have the time. Cherish the time left with her and cherish all the times past.