It's taken me a few days to be able to write this so please forgive the lateness. As some of you may know, our eldest cat, Macabee, has been struggling with various illnesses and other ailments for some time now, ultimately culminating in the discovery of an inoperable cancer diagnoses in October of last year. At the time he was able to fight through a scare that almost took his life then, proving yet again that he was the toughest cat in existence. We only expected to enjoy his company for another week or two at best, but eight months later he was still going strong -- surprising and awing us with his zest for life and blessing us with the joy of his companionship. He was a fighter and a survivor, a true blue trooper... But sadly even he couldn't avoid the Reaper forever...

Over the past few weeks we began to notice he was having accidents outside the litter box and trouble walking. He almost never did anything but sleep... And over this past weekend he got much worse. There were times when he couldn't even walk at all; it took him a few tries just to take a few steps at times. His arthritis had become crippling; his back legs and hind end in so much pain by the end that he wouldn't let you touch them. He couldn't control his bladder at all and we suspect his kidneys were failing... His fur was falling out... He tried very hard to hide his misery and pain, but he was suffering and we could no longer let him continue like that. As hard as it was we had to make that most difficult of decisions that eventually faces any pet owner and make the choice no one wants to make... We had to put him down.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 Macabee was put to sleep here in his own home by our vet -- a kind man who cared enough about him to come to our house so he could leave this world peacefully and happily in comfort surrounded by those he loved and who loved him. He was happy to the very end, purring and happily eating the treats we gave him in his final moments. I cradled his head in my arms as he passed... There was no pain, no crying... It was a peaceful, happy end to a life that had brought so much joy into ours. He was a minimum of 17 years old, probably closer to 18 or 19; we enjoyed a wonderful twelve years sharing his love.

I know some people don't understand when people get emotional over the loss of a pet but Macabee was more than just that for us. He was our best friend and companion... He was with  buzzybeak and I practically since we met. He was with us through it all -- through the good times and the bad, the happy moments and the sad. He was always there to cheer us up, to make us laugh, to love us as much as we loved him... He was our rock, stronger than anyone we ever met -- human OR animal, toughest of the tough and fighting to the end. He survived the abusive life he had before we rescued him to prove that with love and patience even the most scarred of us can move on, let go of the past, and live life to the fullest with no regrets and face it with open arms and no fear. He was THE Macabee, more than just a cat, more than just an animal, and certainly more than just a simple pet. I loved him with all my heart, and I know he knew that. We did everything we could to be sure he had the best life he could live and was loved every moment of it.

We miss you, Macabee. There is a hole now in our lives where you used to be. We loved you until the end, and we love you still. We will never forget you, and perhaps one day we will meet again when we join you on that Rainbow Road.