YesterdayI woke up feeling great, that is until I cam downstairs and hear my mom tell me our beloved white house cat Booboo was sick. First let me tell you about Boo. Hes a slightly overweight white tom cat, who as a kitten was born on a farm. When i was ten I was at my bestfriend's house when Boo approached me in the back yard. He had crossed the busy street to come see this strange human girl. My friends mom who was wary of animals told me to get inside in case I got rabbies. That night my dad was outside when Boo who had crossed yet another street walked up to my dad and asked politely if he would take him out of the cold. He wanted to be a house cat! We did and a decade later Boo was still as lovable and personable as that first night. He was all my friends favorite cat. I dont have favorites because he is one of three brothers, but I loved Boo as much as some people love family. I had a rough childhood at school but Boo was always there...when i was sad to let me pet him or when my and my bf fought he'd lay next to me and let me cry in his fur.

I sat with Boo this morning and I could tell he was not acting normally. He wouldn't move. I lay next to him and stroked him and he purred. He seemed not in discomfort...but not right. Last night I thought it was kind of funny that he was laying on the kitchen floor...a place where he never lays but it was not really a cause for concern. I immediately felt guilt for not going with my gut and checking on his strange behavior. My mom took him to the vet. I called her repeatedly wondering if he was ok. She told me it was not good. He had congestive heart failure and they were going to have him take a shot and take him home probably to die.

I freaked out left my house to go to the vet and on the way there she called me she took him to another vet to double check on him. This vet said it would be cruel to take him home like that. He would slowly suffocate. We love our pets very much so my mom and dad who had arrived there decided he would have to be put down. Boo never deserved to suffer...when i got to that vet I was understandably abashed. I went into the back where my parents told me to say goodbye and then we would go so they could put him asleep. I love Booboo very much and didnt want him to die without me there. I didnt want him to die with some strange vet lady.

So i asked to stay with him while he passed on. My parents were scared how it would effect me but i told them I wanted to be with him. I was really scared. I didn't want to watch my baby die, but i felt like i owed it to him for being such a good cat for ten years. They tranquilized him and put him on the table where I said my goodbyes to him. He began to wheeze and get scared so we called the vet in to put him to sleep. He died with me cradling his head and rubbing his cheeks...his favorite form of pet. I wanted to hold him but he never liked being picked up so I didnt want to bother him as he passed. I watched him go...I felt him slip away. I just hope he knows I loved him and I never left him up to the end. I am absolutely grief stricken tonight. I miss my boo so much. I have been crying all day. I have been getting sick from the anxiety of the loss. IDK what to do, I have been pacing and vomiting and crying. Some people will say its just a cat...but pets are not "just cats or just dogs" they are family. They help you when your down and they love you. I just hope I can feel better soon...and I'm gunna hate missing him.
Posted on 02/23/13, 06:09 pm