The last cat nap.

 I'm sorry to have to come out of hiding with bad news. I'm sad to announce that our sweet kitty Beavis was put to sleep yesterday.

In January, I had discovered a small lump in her abdomen. We decided that due to her likely age of 20, we were not going to subject her to the stress of a vet visit, biopsy and possible surgery (That she probably wouldn't have survived anyway) and instead chose to let nature take its course.

She was doing well up until the beginning of April, when she lost her appetite. After the ordeal of all of us being sick during the month of March, I was looking forward to a much happier April, but instead, I was faced each day with the knowledge that I was saying goodbye to my little friend. I tried my best to make her comfortable by gently encouraging her to eat a few bites and carrying her upstairs to her favorite napping spot in the spare bedroom.

There is still a dent in the blanket where she used to lie.

Although it had to be uncomfortable for her, she still happily greeted me each morning, crying for food that she would barely touch. That made it especially hard. If she would have hid away from us, the decision would have been clear as to when to end her suffering, but she seemed to very much want to be with us, even though her body wasn't up to it.

When she didn't come out of her bed yesterday morning, I knew that enough was enough. Later, I heard her crying for me. She had gotten out of her bed to look for me after all. I told her that she shouldn't worry about mommy anymore and that it was time for her to rest.

Beavis was so tenacious - a fighter until the end. I thought for certain her sheer will was enough to sustain her to be the last one standing of our four original pets (Samantha, the border collie; Daisy, the sweet little lady; Spud, the male one-eared cat; and Beavis, herself.). In fact, just a few months ago, she stood her ground with Marcus and gave him a triple smack in the nose. However, it was not meant to be. I've been taking this a lot harder than I thought I would, but because she had been with me since what I consider the beginning of my adult life (when I moved away from home), I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

You may be wondering how we broke the news to Lauren. Lauren doesn't have a strong attachment to any of our pets, yet she would still call for Beavis on weekend mornings when she would beat me downstairs. I couldn't bear for her to call a kitty that would never come.

Although she was still quite small when Sammie and Spud left us, believe it or not, she still remembers them. So I simply told her that Beavis went to be with Sammie and Spud. She almost accepted that. Then she asked, "Is she coming back?"

Luckily, I was prepared for further questioning. I responded, "No, doggies and kitties can only stay with us for a certain amount of time. This is so there's room for all the other doggies and kitties who are waiting for a good home of their own."

At that point, she tells me matter-of-factly, "I know all about that. I've seen the commercials!"

So thank you, Pedigree. Your commercials may be sad, but they helped me to explain the circle of life.