Anyone that loves their pet, understand what I am going through. Yesterday, after a short battle of illness, we had to say goodbye to my loving Big Guy, Mario.
To those that knew him, loved this fat lazy cat. He was at his top, a whooping 23 pounds. This heavy feline was 13 years old. He was adorable, sweet and made people smile. His fur was super soft and he had a very loud purr.
When we found him on the side of the road as a kitten, he was a frightful sight. Barely alive, starved and sick. I saw him and was relieved that my daughters did not. I prayed for the next couple of miles that someone would stop & rescue him. Then I turned the car around and went back for him. He stole my heart. This tiny little guy was so sick. My Veterinarian warned me it would be a tough fight. Mario was tougher and I was determined not to let him die. With my nursing him back to health, he soon became one of the family. He was my cat. He loved me. I think he really appreciated me as much as I appreciated him.
For the first 10 years of his life, he was very shy and stayed away from everyone, unless it was time to eat, then he'd mow you down for his dinner. He always had to get food in his bowl first. He was known for stealing not only from the other cat bowls, but from the dog bowls as well. When he turned 10, we we worried about his obesity. He breathed heavy (just like a fatty) and struggled to get around. My girls and I decided it was time for a fitness plan. Every day (nice weather days) we would carry him to the back of the yard and set him down. He would then scurry back as quick as he could to the house. His speed increased and his weight seem to decreased. He became more active and started to show more gumption as well.
His illness came about earlier this year. We decided to keep him comfortable and spoil him for long as we had. He was a happy cat even toward the end. He never complained. I will spare you the details, just knowing you do the best for your furry loved ones is enough.
The unconditional love that a pet brings is wonderful. I would never trade it to spare myself the sadness that follows when you lose the pet. He has given me and my family so much joy, laughs and memories.
I feel very fortunate to have had Mario touch our lives.
1 comment:
This is so sad. My cats also tend to get very old and become part of the family and of course, when their time to move on to whereever they go, it is hard. My children learned about the acceptance of death as a part of life and the grieving process through the demise of numerous animals in our household. Something else I have to thank my animal friends for.
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