Goodbye Cozy

I didn't think I would cry this hard over losing a cat ... but he was our cat, at our house, with our family, for 14 years. This picture taken today was his last, taken minutes before he took his last breath. Cozy was a model patient for the vet 3 days ago when they treated him for hyper-thyroidism and a heart condition. And he rallied for the last few days, absorbing the fluids they gave him and eating his special food. This morning, he wasn't exactly the model patient on his return check-up at the vet, so much so that he worked himself up to the point that they had to give him oxygen! To a cat! I'm amazed. Cozy spent the rest of his day under the church pew, as usual. And there he waited until one of us got home, which was Kevin. And then he took his last breath with Kevin by his side. What a cat! What an amazing cat! He was a part of our family, and we are going to miss him. Like crazy. He was purrfect.

Paws-A-While
They will not go quietly, the cats who've shared our lives.
In subtle ways they let us know their spirit still survives.
Old habits still make us think we hear a meow at the door.
Or step back when we drop a tasty morsel on the floor.
Our feet still go around the place the food dish used to be,
And, sometimes, coming home at night,we miss them terribly.
And although time may bring new friends and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts belongs to them. . . and always will.