Otis Options

[Dan]

My beloved poochie-cat passed away last night after taking ill a month ago. I will miss him terribly. He had a tumor.

I call him my poochie-cat because I think he thought he was a dog, or at least part dog. He wasn't aloof, like you hear a lot of people describe cats. He always greeted me when I came home, with a few meows, and he had this thing where he would paw the tops of my feet. That's how I knew he really liked you, if he would paw at your shoes. He would growl like a dog whenever people walked by the house, or when the doorbell rang.
He would lick my face like a dog does. He used to play fetch with a wadded up piece of paper.

But he was always purring, or rolling on his back in the warm sun, or playing with sticks or feathers just like cats love. He loved to lay in the leaves under the bushes, and watch the world go by.

I had been out of town for work when he got the sickest, and it was painful getting the daily updates by phone from the vet. I got into town last night and went immediately to the animal hospital, and spent an hour and a half with Otis in my arms. I put him to bed there at the vet's, and went home to await the results of the sonogram they were to do later that night. They found a tumor near his pancreas, liver and stomach, and we all realised there wasn't anything we could do. He was given some pain meds, and passed on in the night.

He was my best buddy for 15 years. I will miss him. I am thankful for those 15 years. I am thankful for this "cybershoulder". The vet assured me I'll see him again eventually, and I take comfort in that too. 'Til we meet again Otis............

[Ann H]

Hi Dan,
Your little Otis must have brought a lot of pleasure to you. I am sorry that you lost him. It must have been so cute to hear him growl like a dog and play ball with you too and all the other wonderful things he did. I can hear the love you had for Otis in every word. It is never easy to watch them become so sick and leave our sight. Like you so many of us take comfort that we will see and hold our babies again some day.
Ann