18 years.

18 years is a long time for anything, but getting an adorable kitten and watching her grow, nurture her, love her, snuggle her, and watch everyone who walks into your home fall in love with her makes 18 years much more special.

We picked up Zoey and her brother, Joey off the streets of Lake Worth where they had been abandoned. They were almost six months old and they followed each other everywhere. We considered taking only one but Alicia and I didn’t have the heart to separate them. They were crazy together, tearing through our apartment at 2 am as they chased each other over the bed from one room to the next. Just as our nerves began to fray, they settled down and grew out of that stage.

As they got older Joey grew aloof, but Zoey…she became the President of Welcoming Committiee. She was such a warm and loving little soul. She made everyone who ever walked into our home feel like they were the most important human she had ever met. We knew the truth, she just loved people and knew how to have her way with them.

Truth be told, she had her way with us, too. No matter where we were she always had to be with us. She was always sitting close by, on our laps and pillows, or curled up snuggling as we slept. You could never lay on the sofa without that little bundle of love wanting to curl up next to you. She brought us so much love and joy, she was our special little angel.

Unfortunately, for our beautiful little Zoey, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) reared its ugly head (as it does with 80% of geriatric cats). And try as we might to stem the progression she took a turn for the worse. In those last three weeks, we held her, babied her, and gave her all of the love she could stand. And she took it, too. She loved every minute of being the absolute center of attention. Zoey was the epitome of love.

As I sit here writing this, I struggle. I struggle so hard with, was she ready? Should we have waited a little longer? She wasn’t the type of sick cat that went to hide away from us. Even at her sickest, she was right there with us in the mix, on the sofa with us, on our laps, in our bed. She wanted to be with us no matter what.

Putting an end to that which you love is not natural. Life is precious. Zoey was precious. We ended her suffering but our souls still ache. It’s just not natural to end what you love.

Today, our home is a little more empty as the essence of our Zoey slips into the past and we all adjust to life without her. But one thing I know for sure, there will never be another, Zoey. She was the best, and she was ours. We love you, Zoey. Wait for us. In the grand scheme of things…we’ll be along shortly.