@Lion_99 13 July 2021 more from that month

When it comes time to say goodbye to a pet, when is the last straw?

For our beloved cat, it notice that she was acting rather oddly. She would go behind doors, then seem to get “stuck”, and not know how to get out. She would forget where her cat box was, or where her food was. And then later, she would sleep all day, but when the sun went down, she would pace, and howl frantically. Nothing we did would calm her. We had the mobile vet in several times. The vet said that our cat probably had senile dementia. We tried everything the vet recommended, but our poor cat was either frantic and agitated, or so drugged and groggy that we had to carry her to the cat box. We knew it wasn’t a good life for her. So the vet made a last visit. We sang to our cat, and told her how much we loved her. We gave her poached shrimp, her favorite food. We said good-by, trying not to upset her by crying. Then the vet gave her a shot, which sent her into a deep sleep. We stroked her, and said that soon, everything would be OK. Then the vet gave her a last shot, and she died. I often imagine her in the cat version of Valhalla. She is young and healthy again, running over green hills. She plays forever, without ever getting winded. And when she sleeps, she dreams of catching dragons. And maybe of us, the humans who loved her so much.