Saying Goodbye to a Friend

Mother’s Day was last Sunday but I’m not writing about that this week. On Saturday there was a sad occasion that marked my weekend more. We had to say goodbye to a beloved family pet.

Our cat Elmo had been with us since long before Maura was born. He was an affectionate and usually gentle animal who liked people and was often to be found on someone’s lap. Most often the lap was mine. Elmo was 16 or 17 years old (we aren’t quite sure) and had been sick for months so we knew the end was coming. It was still hard on Saturday morning when it was clear his condition had taken a turn for the worse. We took him to see the vet, half hoping that she would tell us that he would respond to treatment and improve. We were not surprised when she told us that he was unlikely to get better and the best thing we could do for him was to have him euthanized. He was clearly suffering; the decision was not difficult.

I stayed with Elmo until the end while Jennifer took Maura to the garden store to purchase a plant. It is a family tradition to mark the final resting place of pets with a planting. Elmo is now under a lilac bush. It is small now but it was already covered with flowers when we planted it and if it thrives it will add beauty to our yard in the spring. Not far away is the maple tree we planted over the ashes of another departed friend which gives great color to our yard in the fall. On a happier occasion the planting would have been a fun family activity. We have gardened together before and it is usually very enjoyable when we all work as a team. The weather was perfect and it was better to be outside than indoors.

We are all missing Elmo now, especially me, because I am home alone much of the time. Our remaining cat Houdini has his affectionate moments but he is not as much of a snuggler as Elmo was. It has been lonely around here this week. It won’t be for long. We have room in our home and hearts for two cats and we have already been talking about getting another. Elmo can’t be replaced but there are lots of cats looking for good homes. If one doesn’t come to us from a friend or acquaintance the way most of our cats have over the years we will adopt from an animal shelter, probably before the end of the summer.