Farewell to a beloved cat

Dupree Danticat, fluffy friend extraordinaire and family pet, went to his final resting place today after a long life of 17½ long years. He had been in declining health in recent days and I suspect he hung on for the sake of all who loved him dearly. Last night, I could sort of tell that the end was near because he was meowing so piteously. His body seemed to be shutting down and he could no longer digest his food and he was literally starving to death. He got a little bit of Thanksgiving turkey last night, so I am glad that on the final night of his long life, he got to have a little tasty treat, even though his body probably could no longer process it. I'm incredibly sad today and have been crying off and on, but I know that this was inevitable. He was positively ancient in cat years and I am surprised he hung on this long. He'd been losing weight for months and this summer I took him to the vet a few times and administered antibiotics to fight the gingivitis that plagued him for a long time. He seemed to rally a bit, regain his appetite and put weight back on again, but in recent weeks, it had become apparent that his body was slowly shutting down and he was declining rapidly, so it was probably best that he was put to sleep this morning. Knowing that he's no longer suffering brings me some relief, anyway. I will always try to remember him as a healthy, vital cat that loved to play and sit outdoors in his favorite spot in the sun, where his final resting place will be. I am glad that his body was brought home and a resting place prepared for him. It's only right. I would have been very distraught had his body been disposed of unceremoniously, but knowing that he will forever lie in his favorite place is comforting in a sense. He is the last of the many cats that will grace our family home due to some allergies that my mom has, and that makes me very sad, because the house in which we grew up has felt right since a cat came back into our lives seventeen years ago. It had been without a cat for fourteen years before that and it felt empty and sad. Cats add a certain something to a household and to know that there will never again be another cat makes me very sad. However, the neighbor next door cares for a cat that was dumped in my mom's neighborhood that I have bonded with and who I see every time I go home, so I still have a cat with whom I can visit and spend time. Still, I will miss Dupree's unique personality that he brought to our family home. I'll miss seeing him sitting on back of the sofa in the picture window when I come to visit. I'll miss stroking his soft fur and the fact that in recent days he would come and sit on my lap when I would ask him to come to me, and he'd lie there and purr as I stroked his soft fur and spoke to him. I'll miss kissing him goodnight every time I'd return home to my apartment. I'll miss everything about him, but I am comforted knowing that he lived a long life and was spoiled and loved to the very end of his time with us. Goodbye, my beloved fluffy friend. I love you and I always will. Forever.