After a lot of thought and a lot of tears, we've decided that it's time to say goodbye to Cobweb. Our usual vet is only in the office M-Th, and we definitely wouldn't want to see a different vet for this particular visit, and so we've made an appointment for Monday afternoon. This gives us a last few days to spend with our stripey cat before she's really gone.

She and I have been together for 17 years, and I can't imagine the house without her, but she's been increasingly sick (as most of you know) for more than two years now with renal and intestinal ailments, and in the last month or two she has developed some (possibly senility-related) behavioral problems. It finally just seemed like it was time.

I'm usually not a fan of euphemisms -- they often simultaneously amuse and annoy me -- but in this case, I find myself shying away from the words "die," "dead," and "kill." That's what will be happening, of course, but for right now I'm just going to spend some time with my cat with an awareness that this time is fleeting, and avoid those words even in my thoughts as much as possible.