People who have never had pets will NEVER understand the special bond they hold. Pets are family. I cannot express that enough. I remember one day my teacher told me one of her students was upset about her pet. My teacher could not understand why it was a big deal.??? Pets ARE family. Growing up, I have always had the most wonderful cats. They were Buddy, Midnight, and Sassy and they were the golden trio.
I got Sassy when I was about 7 years old. She became the best cat I have ever had. She was such a family pet. She hated tuna which was funny since it is such a cat thing to love tuna. I remember her always waiting in front of the dryer for a hot towel. In 2009 when Sassy started to get sick, I did not quite know what to feel. I noticed she could not breath as easily and there was not joy in her eyes anymore. Finding out she had cancer, I was just 12 years old and I watched her on her last few days. After she passed, I cried harder than I did at my grandfather’s funeral. I was not close to him but oh boy was I close to Sassy. What hurt the most was seeing my mom. Sassy lived before my mom had a job and they were always together. I had never seen my mom cry that hard before, ever. She was my best friend and even though I am 20 now, I still miss her and not a day goes by I do not think of her.
When Buddy came into our lives, we got him around the same time we got Sassy. We had them both in the house for a while until Buddy started going crazy and going to the bathroom anywhere. We decided to put Buddy outside with Midnight and they quickly became the best of friends. We got Buddy when he was a kitten so he grew up with us. He and Midnight always wandered around the woods and around the house and for years they would always come back and it was never a problem. Well one day when Midnight returned and Buddy did not, I started to be a little concerned but tried not to panic. Maybe he was sleeping in the woods or something? My brother and I walked in the woods a little bit and that’s when I found his body. He had been attacked by a coyote. One of the hardest things I have ever had to see. I think what hurt me most is knowing how much pain he had to have been in right before he died. After Buddy was found and since we had already lost Sassy just a few months earlier, we decided to bring Midnight in.
Midnight stayed inside with us for a long time. In the past year or two he began to get sick. He used to weigh about 20 lbs. but in the last year he has gotten down to 10 pounds and within the past few weeks he ha probably gotten down to 6 or 7 pounds at the most. Last November, he had fallen on the ground and started to seize up. He could not move his back legs and he look TERRIFIED. We thought he was about to die right then and there. My brother and I talked to our parents and we discussed putting him down. Out of nowhere, he started acting fine again like nothing had happen, so we let it go. Flash-forward to the present time now of November 6 th, 2016. Just a few weeks ago he stopped eating and is always starving. We would give him special food but he still would not gain weight. The past few days we have been expecting him to go at any moment. Yesterday November, 5 th, 2016 I got a call at work saying I needed to come home right then because Midnight was not feeling well. I rushed home last night to see my family surrounding him on the couch. I knew he was about to go. He could not move, could not blink, but he had a faint heartbeat. I held him close and told goodbye and that I loved him. Slowly after that, his pupils got huge and he was gone. Cats are funny. He wanted to wait till I got there so I could tell him bye. After 18 years, the last of the golden trio is gone. I do not care what anyone says. Pets are family and the death of them can hurt worse than a human death. Growing up with the 3 of them was nothing but a blessing. They were the best of friends and as of last night, they are all reunited. Thank you guys for everything and you guys are in our hearts, always. Love Rachel, Rob, Mom, and Dad.
