Sunday, October 25, 2009

I miss my baby ...


Today is a sad day for me. Fourteen years ago I had to put my cat CJ to sleep. He was in the final stages of renal failure and near death when I had to make that terrible decision. To this day, that was one of the worst days of my life. Pets like CJ don't come around often. At least they haven't for me. I've had other cats since, and they've all had their good and bad points, but none of them have ever come close to CJ.

I remember what clothes I had on that terrible day. I remember holding him on my lap as Rick drove us to the vet office. I remember playing a CD on repeat all that morning. I haven't played that CD since that day. I don't think I ever will. It's odd because I couldn't tell you what day my father was born or died on. I couldn't tell you what years my grandparents passed away. They were all very important to me, but I simply can't remember unless I look them up. CJ was what I call a once-in-a-lifetime pet and I remember details about him vividly. He was absolutely the coolest cat in the world.

I blogged about him last year on this day. If you'd like to read that and see more photographs of him, click on In loving memory for more. I really miss this little guy. He meant so much to Rick and I. Not a day goes by where I don't think about him. I have his pictures everywhere, including in my bathroom and in my car. He was more than a pet and more than a member of our family -- he was my best friend. The year 2009 marks 14 years of living without him. Ironically, he was part of my life for 14 years before that. Twenty-eight years and he still means so much. That says something ...

6 comments:

  1. touching story! New lurker here. Congrats on your success with 4RV. I'm currently waiting to hear back from a full ms request from them! I linked to you from Verla Kay's boards.

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  2. Rena...Lots of hugs to you today. I know how you feel. Koda is my baby, my son. I would be lost without him. {{Hugs}}

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  3. Some pets, I'm think, are people or angels in disguise, come to earth as animals to teach us how to live, how to be better humans. CJ was probably just such a cat.

    I've had a couple of dogs like that... I still miss them, I'll always miss them. Our current dog is so very special... I don't know what I'll do when it's time for her to say good-bye.

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  4. We have one that is about to leave us. She is very old but still a very loving cat. She looks a lot like yours did. Lately she has taken to sitting on the fence post like a vulture and staring at me when I come out of the house. We have had so many cats over the years and they are all like little children.

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  5. Hugs Rena. Big, big hugs.

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