Mitch

Our beloved cat, Mitch, is dying. (see pictures on right sidebar) He is 11 years old and has been a part of our family for over five years. He has two huge tumors under his chin along his neck and one along his left hind leg as well as one in his abdomen. He moves carefully and slowly, gingerly settling himself into his favorite spots. We are having more trouble finding him recently since he has discovered some fairly secluded hiding places. I have to wonder if he is doing it on purpose, to save the boys from possible devastation. Today I noticed that is right eyelid is swollen and red. His nose is pinker than usual, as well. I'm constantly giving him fresh water and encouraging him to eat whenever I can. He wouldn't even try to eat the tiny piece of cheese I gave him this morning. The vet gave me antibiotics for him just in case, by some miracle, his swollen lymph nodes are because of an infection and not cancer. I had wrapped a sliver of soft cheese around the miniscule pill, but he was not having it. He looked at me as if to say, "Don't bother..."

He doesn't seem to be in pain right now. I keep praying that somehow I will know when he is suffering and I will be strong enough to make that horrible decision. My heart is breaking and I want to scoop him up and hug him to my face forever and never let him go. The comfort he has brought all of us over the years is unmatched by any human. He has unconditionally adored us, forgiving us even when we go away for a few days and leave him with only a large bowl of food and a liter of fresh water. Every night he sleeps with one of the boys, the oldest,N, especially. It's like they have a special connection. Mitch is more his cat than anybody else's. I don't know how N will get over this impending loss. Mitch has been his santuary and safety net for so many years. We will all be empty inside. What will we do without him?

I only hope we can make him feel as comfortable as possible and show him that we love him beyond words and will always love him in our hearts.