My husband and I were married July 7, 2005. 3 weeks later, we adopted Toby and Brittany, our cats, who at the time were each 12 weeks old. From the time they met, they were always together. They were both indoor cats only, and could not have looked any different from each other. Toby was all white, with short hair and huge blue eyes, and Brittany is all sorts of colors, tabby, calico, with long hair and green eyes. Last week, Toby started feeling sick and vomited a couple times, but this was common for him, so we just kept a close watch of him. Weds. he started to get much worse, he would not eat or drink, and never went to the bathroom, and howled and slept most of the day. So that evening we took him to the emergency vet office. They did bloodwork and he had a massive kidney infection, had kidney failure, liver failure, and a bunch of other thngs, so they kept him overnight to do more tests and to get him on IV fluids. Well, Thurs. the vet called me at work and said the only way to save him would be to take him down to OSU and have dialysis. Well, he was in pain and so very sick, that we had to make the toughest decision of our lives to put him to sleep and end his suffering. So my husband and I came home and got Brittany, and took her with us to say goodbye. She howled in the carrier the whole way there. I know a lot of people are skeptical of doing that, but we felt it was only fair to let her say goodbye too. When we got there, Toby was almost gone, but in the exam room, before they brought him to us, Brittany was just walking around, checking things out. Once Toby was there though, wrapped in a blanket and very, very sick, she put her paws around him, laid her head on his chest, and looked up at me like she knew. At that point, Toby made a few noises, and I truly believe he was saying goodbye to her. When it was over and we left, we put Britt back into her carrier and got in the car, and she did not make one noise the whole way back home.

It has been a few days now, and my grief is still just as strong as it was last week. Toby was our baby, we do not have chidren, but we love our cats so much. He had such a personality and I am still at the point that if I think about it too much or see his picture, I cry and feel so guilty. I know it was best for him not to prolong things and make him suffer more though. Brittany is doing well, is eating again and meowing more and spending more time on Toby's blanket, so I think that she wil be fine. Toby, we miss you and we love you very much!!