Our cat, So-crates, passed away this afternoon
I am sad that he’s gone, and thankful that he let us love him for 13 years. It was quick, sudden, and completely unexpected.
He was sleeping on the back of the sofa, one of his favorite spots, and I was in the chair, next to it. He made kind of a snorting sound, and as I looked over, he arched his back in a way I’d never seen, opened his mouth in a wide yawn-like manner, then laid back down.
I asked him if he was alright, and he didn’t respond. When I got up and sat next to him, and touched his head, he didn’t respond. He was gone, that fast.
I held him, and petted him, and told him he was a very good boy, and that I loved him.
I went down to the laundry room, and got his carrier. I laid him in it, and carried him out to the car, and drove to Annapolis to the Pet Smart.
I knew he was gone. For some reason, I wanted to hear a vet or vet tech confirm it. They are our vet, and we adopted him there, 13 years ago. He was a rescue from a non-euthanizing shelter, called the Lucky Ones. He was about 9 months old at the time, by their estimation.
Our son named him So-crates, after Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure. He was such a good cat, and beautiful, too - gray, and black, mostly, in stripes, with light brown and white on his belly.
I told the vet tech what had happened, and asked if someone could confirm it for me. She took him in his carrier, back to the room where they do treatments. A few minutes later, she came back out, holding the carrier in her arms, instead of by the handles.
She told me that the vet said he had passed a very short time ago. I said yes, about 20 minutes. She also said that he was very young. I told her he was with us for 13 years, and that we had adopted him there, and that was why I wanted to come there to make sure.
She said she was surprised that he was that old, and that he looked well-loved and cared for. It was a blessing to hear that.
I asked her how much I owed, and she said that there was no charge, and that she was very sorry. She also asked if I was going to take him home to bury him, and I said yes. I thanked her for her kindness, and took him out to the car.
I called my wife - who was at her Mom’s, in another city, and then our son, who was on a flight. They were both sad, and glad for him that it was so quick. He loved them both, especially my wife - she was his favorite.
I dug a hole in our back yard, near the shed. When it was ready, i went and got his carrier from the car, and brought him to the spot.
I took him out of the carrier, kissed him on his head, and told him that I loved him.
I took off his collar, then placed him in an unused Under Armor bag, the kind with drawstrings so you can use them as a backpack, and buried him.
Next week, I will buy some river rocks, and make it special, and beautiful, because he was both.
When I was finished, my neighbor, who is great, invited me over for a Guiness. I visited in their yard with him and his wife till almost 10pm. Then I came home.
That was an hour ago. I wanted to write this before I went to bed.
So-crates was so wonderful, such a gift to us, and everything that you’ve read about how that having a cat can make you calmer and more relaxed is true. Wonderfully true.
He let us love him, and he loved us back. He let us give him our home, and he made it even more special.
Nighty night, buddy. I love you. We all do.
