My sweet boy Luke, gone but not forgotten

On May 16th, my sweet kitty Luke passed away. I had him for 15 years, and he was my sweet friend. He moved from Georgia with me back in 1995, along with another cat, Kelseykai. I talked to them both constantly on the roads between GA and AZ- I can't image how nutty I must have looked to the cars that passed me. He had several names, "Spook" to his friends in Bullhead City, "Lucky" to my friends TC and Perry, and even variations in between. But, one thing is certain, he was one of the sweetest cats I'll ever have.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've had a strong emotional bond with animals, and my pets, well, they are my family. I was never the woman who craved to have children, but I can honestly say, I can't image my life without my pets. They add a layer of love to my life that I just can't live without. I truly think their only fault is that they live such short lives. But, I think in their short time with us, the amount of love they give us will last a lifetime.

Luke was diagnosed with kidney failure earlier this year, and Grant and I knew there was no real cure, only to make him comfortable in his old, golden years. It's so hard to let go, even when you know it's for the best. The afternoon that we had to euthanize Luke, he was sitting in the one sunny spot of our kitchen. He was feeling terrible, I could tell by his posture, and had given up eating food and drinking water a couple of days prior. I was sitting with him, singing to him "Sunshine on my Shoulders" (I sing to my animals a lot, not sure why, but it seems to calm them). After I finished one verse, he sat up from his crouched position, and locked eyes with me for a good 15 seconds. That's when I knew. It was his time. He let out a sigh, and went back to his crouched position. With tears in our eyes, Grant and I picked him up for his last trip to the vet. While we were waiting at the clinic in the room where you leave with your empty animal crate, he started to purr while we held him in our arms, in his special gurgly way that I'll never forget, for the first time in a week. I think he was trying to tell us goodbye, in the only way he knew.

This last photo was taken the day before he went to, what I hope, is a special place for our beloved pets, who are really our family. A place with sunny spots, warm laps and lots of love. Goodbye my sweet Luke. I love you and I'll miss you.