I've had better days.

Had to take a break from pre-Irma prep to take that most difficult of all trips to the vet. Sarah the cat is gone. 

Today really sucks.

Margie

condolences.......

Milo and Frosty send their condolences. Well, I assume they do--they're at the groomer getting deskunked right now. 

Never is easy. In fact, losing a pet is almost universally harder than losing a loved human. So sorry for your loss, Margie. 

Went through this a couple months back. They're not pets, they're family. My condolences.

So sorry for your loss Margie. 

So terribly sorry Marjorie.

At least Sarah is no longer in pain.

Losing a cherished pet is always hard, I'm sorry for your losss. 

Ooof.  So sorry 

Very sorry.  My family went through this two weekends ago with my oldest rabbit.  Not fun at all.

Vinnie , Crackers and Gracie send their condolences....  

She'll meet Maggie in cat heaven.  They'll have good times.  

It's shocking how big a hole in your heart fur-babies leave when they depart. Cat-dad condolences to you.

My dog Holly and I send our condolences to you and yours. I just went through this earlier this year with my parents' bulldog Tank. Pets become family, and it never gets easier. 

Sorry, Margie. I know how hard that is. 

I'm so sorry; that's a terrible thing to have to deal with anytime, let alone with Irma on the way. Best wishes from our little zoo.

RIP

I can't imagine what you are going through. I will be heart broken when that time comes for our cats. I like them more than most people.

Really sorry Margie. Hate losing a loved one

I'm so sorry to hear that. My condolences.

Condolences to you and the crew. That's an awful day.

Sorry for your loss. I dread the day.

Sort of on the bright side of things.. At least you don't have to worry about the cat during the storm? 

My cat (heretofore to be known as 6poundsofdeath) chased a medium-sized Rabbit into the garage two days ago.  The Rabbit, in a desperate bid to escape certain death, tried to squeeze into a small space at the end of my workbench.  It got wedged tight, with only it's hind legs sticking out.  6poundsofdeath then mercilessly clawed at it (judging by the fur piles) in an attempt to free the rabbit.  Eventually, 6poundsofdeath chose to simply naw off everything that was protruding from the workbench and walk away.  

Yesterday, I started catching the smell of death and knew that 6poundsofdeath had left me a present under something, somewhere.  After much searching - remember, nothing is sticking out - I finally wedge myself into a corner and see some fur sticking out from beside the workbench.  Crap.  I have to pull the entire 12' long workbench away from the wall enough to pry loose the dead rabbit.  6poundsofdeath is watching from the roof of my car, bemused.  The legless rabbit (I thought those were supposed to be lucky?) gets tossed into the woods for the coyotes and this weekend, I seal that hole for good! 

The moral of the story is that cats always make and impression and leave us with memories.  I am sorry to hear that you lost yours and hope you have plenty of happy, funny or unforgettable memories.  

Sincere condolences from our entire family, both four- and two-legged.

Story time, hopefully it helps cheer you up Margie:

I am not a cat person (bear with me), I got clawed in the face pretty badly when I was little, and have had a couple other negative experiences since.  Certainly don't hate cats, just harbored a healthy dislike/distrust towards most.  Unfortunately, my job (travels) and bachelorhood (live alone) prevented getting a dog, despite wanting one for years, I always felt if you can't provide a good home, don't take on a responsibility to do so for the next 10+ years.  

Almost a year ago I was working in the garage, and heard a very loud crying.  Turns out it was a tiny kitten that wandered in.  I ignored him for quite a while, assuming a mother or litter mate was not far behind.  After 15-20 minutes, I stopped what I was doing and took a look, realizing he was skin and bones, and there was no one else around.  My healthy dislike of cats does not extend to starving little ones of any species, so I took a guess at what cats like and offered him a bowl of milk:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WOWrASUKSlU1AqMc2

(For size, that's not a cereal bowl, it's one of those little half sized ones that no one ever uses)

He ignored it until I scooped a little out and convinced him what it was, after which he wolfed the entire thing down in one go (I was actually worried he was going to get sick), jumped on my lap, and immediately slept like the dead.  Continued working in the garage as best I could, but never saw a parent (human or feline) come looking, so I ran to the store, got a litter box, bowls, and kitty chow and parked him in the guest bathroom overnight, figuring a friend or somebody might want a kitten.  Took him to the vet, and learned he was in fact a he, weighed 0.8 pounds, had fleas, worms, and ear mites, and had likely been on his own for some time.  Got meds for all the above, a bath, plus his first shots, and took him home.  

I tried for for a month or two to find a home for him, but several wishy-washy responses made me decide he's better off with me.  

A year later and he's 14 pounds, has always used his litterbox, and knows sit, stay, shake, come, up, and down.  I'm still neutral on some cats, but this one is pretty awesome:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NySsdxReNy0ZXBKg2

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4Sw9Mk261n1Mvoa93

Sometimes an animal needs us to rescue them, sometimes it's the other way around.  

The past 2-3 years has been very stressful from both a job and home repair standpoint.  My mood over the last year has been improved considerably, a big part of that I attribute to having a pet that greets you every time you come home and is always happy to see you.  

We lost our 16 year old cat at Christmas time. I'm still finding cat hair everywhere. My eyes get watery because I'm allergic, yeah, that's what it is.  

Sorry for your loss. 

Thanks for the condolences and especially the stories, everybody. On the bright side, I'm so stressed from the storm that I'm fairly numb.