This is a photo of Munchkin (gray) and Brutus (white), the two family cats. I’ve had Brutus for a year and a half; Munchkin has been with us for 17 years.
Tonight I will be taking a cat to the vet in Park River to be put to sleep. Munchkin is my sister’s cat; we’ve had him since 1989. This evening as I was making supper I discovered him curled up between the entertainment shelving and the wall. When I extricated him I discovered he could hardly walk and was listing to one side, as if he had had a stroke or something.
He’s an old cat. He’s had cateracts and a sort of senility and stiffness and wheeziness about him for years. A lovable, goofy cat who sleeps on his back, tummy side up, feet tucked in, purring if you even just smile at him. He’s a cat with a ready purr.
This is not the first evening of emergency animal calls to my South Dakota sister, a vet tech, describing symptoms in dire straits, although this time I said up front that I think Munchkin needed to be put down. I’ve gone through it with horses and dogs, too. The horse died the next morning before we took it to the vet. The dog, well, he died too.
So, I will now go and ready a cardboard box and a towel and put Munchkin in it. I will tell Brutus, the other cat, to say goodbye to his friend because he won’t see him again and he’ll be the only cat, now, even though that’s silly of me. I will get in the car and drive an hour because the other vets in the area are out of the country and not answering their phone and there is a severe shortage of vets. I will arrive, Munchkin will be put to sleep, I’ll drive another hour home with a deceased family pet in a box, bury him, and then go to bed.
And I will cry just a bit. I’ve known this day is coming. But I will cry, nonetheless.
I'm so sorry. I couldn't bear to give my heart away and go thru this again. That's why after Skipper and Eb we no longer have pets. I still dream about Skipper after 15 years (he was with us 18).
Munchkin will stay in your heart the rest of your life. At least that's how it's been for me.
Juls, another chapter closes in our family. Now we live with the memories and smile I hope!
Its not silly at all. God created Munchkin for your enjoyment and companionship. Its sad to say goodbye. My husband had a cat named "Boots" for 22 years. He was a cool cat – very smart – a member of the family. So shed your tears and be thankful for the gift.
Julie — I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. My wife and I have two cats (Miss Woodhouse and Miss Darcy), and we can have some idea what your sense of lost must be. Kinky Friedman once wrote a very moving tribute to one of his cats. It was published as an epilogue to his book "Elvis, Jesus, and Coca-Cola". As he says, "the love of a cat is a blessing, a privilege in this world." Anyway, here is the full tribute:
“On January 4, 1993, the cat in this book and the books that preceded it was put to sleep in Kerrville, Texas, by Dr. W.H. Hoegemeyer and myself. Cuddles was fourteen years old, a respectable age. She was as close to me as any human being I have ever known. Cuddles and I spent many years together, both in New York, where I first found her as a little kitten on the street in Chinatown, and later on the ranch in Texas. She was always with me, on the table, on the bed, by the fireplace, beside the typewriter, on top of my suitcase when I returned from a trip. I dug Cuddles’ grave with a silver spade, in the little garden by the stream behind the old green trailer where both of us lived in the summertime. Her burial shroud was my old New York sweatshirt and in the grave with her is a can of tuna and a cigar. A few days ago I received a sympathy note from Bill Hoegemeyer, the veterinarian. It opened with a verse by Irving Townsend: “We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own live within a fragile circle……” Now, as I write this, on a gray winter day by the fireside, I can almost feel her light tread, moving from my head and my heart down through my fingertips to the keys of the typewriter. People may surprise you with unexpected kindness. Dogs have a depth of loyalty that often we seem unworthy of. But the love of a cat is a blessing, a privilege in this world. They say when you die and go to heaven all the dogs and cats you’ve ever had in your life come running to meet you. Until that day, rest in peace, Cuddles.”
With sympathy, Bill Drew (the Oldtimer)
You OK?
Bummer. In my life I've had 2 dogs and 1 cat put under. I delayed all until I knew they were going to suffer unnecessarily if I delayed further. The cat (Jack) was 12 years ago. He was only about 3, but we were soul mates. Still shed a tear occasionally when I think of him…
Hey, "Old Timer," any friend of Kinky Friedman's is a friend of mine! He's my guru, my mentor, my friend. A man that loves animals as does he is a special person, especially if that same sort of love can be given to people as well.
Munchkin looks like a very content cat. He was lucky to have you !
I really like that part about all the cats or dogs you've ever had greeting you in heaven.