Sundance...one of those special cats

Today I lost a piece of my heart. I had to make the decision for my beloved Sundance to cross over the Rainbow Bridge.

It all started with a tail that wouldn't work. Nothing else was wrong. And then progressively, day by day, something just wasn't right.

On Sunday, upon returning from a weekend away, I discovered that my Sunny was in severe discomfort and was having trouble walking.

X-rays showed spondylosis on his spine at T 13, L 1 and L 2. Our best guess is that it either encroached on his spinal chord or a piece of it broke off and was in the process of severing his spinal chord. Day by day, Sunny was becoming paralyzed. On Tuesday, Dr Gallerstein said that there was nothing more that could be done medically.

We spent the day together on Tuesday. It was a wonderful day.

Sundance was one of those special cats that leaves their footprints on your heart permanently. Today I lost a piece of my heart, but it was replaced by wondeful memories. Sunny wasn't in my life long enough. I do feel cheated, but blessed that this wonderful creature was in my life for any amount of time.

Sunny was my greeter cat. He greeted any human or cat who came in the door. All new kitties in the house were greeted with a kiss on the top of the head and a grand tour. They were shown where the litterboxes, scratching posts and dishes were. They were told which toys they weren't allowed to play with and where their spot on the bed would be. He was a big mellow mush that purred all the time.

He had the most wonderful purr. He purred all the way until the end. The last sound he made was a purr. It makes me feel that he understood why I had to make the decision that I did. He was suffering. His mind and heart worked perfectly. It was the back half that quit working on him. Because of the wonderful option that veterinary medicine offers us, I didn't have to see him lose his dignity. I could have kept him around, carrying him around, feeding him, putting him in the litterbox. I could have, but it would have been selfish. Sunny was one of the best cats. He was a wonderful friend. It was the greatest gift I could have given him. So.....his suffering is over and my darling Sunny crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. In a couple of weeks I'll have his ashes, a pawprint and a locket of fur to remember him by. But best of all I have a heart full of memories and a camera full of pictures to hold on to.

I will miss him terribly

meow for now,
melissa