I got off the phone with my brother about a half-hour ago, and he informed me that he and his girlfriend had to put their cat, Pudley, to sleep today. Pudley had had several owners before Bill and Meri, so no one's sure exactly how old he was, but the best guess is that he was about 17. His health had been declining in recent years, and everyone knew that he was pretty much living on borrowed time. This past week, he took another turn for the worse, and Bill, Meri and their vet agreed that things were only going to go downhill from there, and that at this point the best thing they could do for him was not to subject him to any unnecessary suffering.

Pudley was among the sweetest, friendliest cats I've ever known. A lot of us furries feel that we're animals trapped in human bodies. I imagine that Pudley was just the opposite. He was absolutely a people cat. He loved every person he met, and every person he met loved him. I got to see him one last time this past Friday-- and I'd gotten used to thinking that every time I saw him could be the last time-- so I don't feel like I didn't get to say goodbye to him... but I'm still going to miss him something awful.

I love you, Pudley.


This pic was taken early last year. It isn't a great photo, I know... but it's the best one I currently have available to put online. Anyway, I'm not going for a photography award here lol, I just want to pay tribute to a friend.