Saying Goodbye to My Little Buddy

My cat Jack crossed the Rainbow Bridge today. He was diagnosed last year with Fibrosarcoma, and he fought it longer than I expected him to. I knew i would eventually have to have him put down, but I didn't know where to draw the line. I figured that when he stopped showing interest in food or ear scratches, that was how I wold know. Unfortunately, he never did either one. The past few weeks were the hardest, seeing what the cancer had taken from him. When he finally got too weak to jump onto the bed, I knew it was time.

I got Jack ten years ago, when he was three and a half months old. I had just returned from Iraq and gotten married to my ex-wife, and we both loved animals. With both of us working full-time, it wouldn't have been fair to get a dog, but a kitten fit right into our lifestyle. When we separated, I kept Jack and she kept our other cat, a calico named Roxy. I soon adopted another friend for Jack, a tortoiseshell named Diane. 

 

Jack got passed around quite a bit, due to my military career, but he was always my buddy again as soon as I got home from wherever I had been. He spent time with my dad, with friends of mine, and with my wife before we got married, but he was always right there when I got back. Diane took her time coming around, but Jack was loyally and faithfully my kitty.

Regardless of how many cat beds there were in the house, Jack's favorite nap spot was always my clothes. No matter whether they were clean or dirty, he loved curling up on my laundry. If I didn't have any laundry out, he would settle for electronic devices.

Jack always gave way more love and affection than he took. Any time I was upset, he would just sit in my lap and purr, and everything would be better. I'm gonna miss his devotion and company. Even though there are five other cats in the house, there will be a Jack-shaped void for some time to come.

Jack was a gentle cat. Although he always had a hiss or a growl ready for the vet, he loved kittens. The real tragedy of having to say goodbye to him is that there are three cats in the house who have known him their whole lives. My heart breaks for them, because I know they'll be looking for him over the next few days.

Godspeed, little buddy.