My feline friend of 16 years had to be put down recently. Her end was quick and painless.
Noche had been slowing down for a while but in the end all she was doing was sleep. That, coupled with a sudden weight loss made me realize something was terribly wrong so we paid a visit to Dr. Caroline Gilje who has been taking care of her for years.
With all the normal exams and blood tests coming up negative it was time to x-ray her. That's where it became obvious that Noche had cancer which had already metastasized and was firmly entrenched in her lungs.
So on Friday October 12 at 11:43 AM Noche was put to sleep by Dr. Gilje. One of her assistants, Shelley Cashel, was there to help. That was especially comforting because Shelley has been cat sitting for us for a number of years. Denise and I watched as the life force left our beloved cat.
Noche was adopted from the Humane Society. From the moment we got her home and she took off to hide behind the kitchen refrigerator she's been a major part of our lives.
This was a sociable puss. If you were in one section of the house she'd come by just to see what was going on. Mind that Noche never was a lap cat. Just to be close by and part of the action was fine by her.
Noche never climbed the Christmas tree. Noche walked on a leash. Noched talked. A lot.
To say Noche was a bit surprised when our son Ryan came into the world and home would be an understatement. Yet she grew to like him. Even granting him permission to pick her up and giving him buddy bumps in return.
Some would argue that in the overall scheme of things a pet is just a pet. But from where I sit it sure doesn't feel that way. A member of my family is gone and she is sorely missed.
