Life is Short

This is our beloved cat Domino.  We had to face the heartbreaking decision to put him to sleep after he endured a lot of pain and was given a poor prognosis to live. Anyone who has a pet that is special to them knows that they are not just animals, they are part of family.  Essentially, Domino has been our first "Fur Baby" since Jason and I married 13+ years ago.  He's been with us near the beginning when Jason and I were just dating...so technically he has been in our lives for nearly 16 1/2 years(He was approximately 84 years old in cat years.) Those are a lot of years, a lot of Memories.  He has made an undelible mark in our family history, and he is one special cat.  So don't poke fun of us if you don't have animals and don't understand, or think "He's just a cat".  He is an Extraordinary Feline thank you very much, and he definitely has been very loyal.  I'm going to leave Jason to write his story because that's a major part of why this cat has been so special.  I just wanted express my feelings as to...well, I guess it's my way of coping.

 

Domino has many aliases.  He is also known as Dommie, Bubbs, Bubba Cat, Bubbaloo, Cowboy.  I always like to call him "Bubbs" because he was my bubbs.  I don't know what Bubbs means, but it's a cutesy cat owner lingo of LOVE....Lol.  The thing is, Domino was a tender mercy for us.  We've had difficulty starting a family, and this little animal was our first cat to fill the void of childlessness. He showed love through the soft purring sounds, the head graze to our hands, the little rub against the leg.  He awoke us and put his furry face in our faces in the morning to tell us he is hungry...and leads us to his empty plate...by looking back after a couple of stride lengths to ensure we were following him. He made us laugh with his simple enjoyment with playing with a foam ball.  He loved his foam soccer balls and you can hear him meowing with it in his mouth it's hilarious.  Here take a look for yourself:

 



 He was compassionate, and he knew when I wasn't feeling well.  I had my wisdom teeth pulled at one time, and I was feeling completely paralyzed and sick from the anesthesia as well as vicodin...and I just had a pillow over my head.  All of the sudden I see this cute black and white kitty face peaking underneath the pillow...like he was checking on me.  He then curled and laid next to me...keeping me company that evening. I guess what i'm saying, is that I think we underestimate the abilities of what cats/animals can do for us.  They can teach us about love, responsibility, compassion, loyalty, and trust.  Definitely these are attributes that one can learn from.  The big lesson with Domino's passing is that it happened so quickly.  It was only about 2-3 weeks where we noticed a difference in Domino's behavior. Usually when a cat is sick, they will isolate themselves.  Domino had done that a week or 2 ago.  We knew he was old, and odds were against him, but of course we chose to be responsible and seek a diagnosis just to make sure we are dotting our i's and crossing our t's. We didn't want to make the decision to end his life if he had a chance.  Unfortunately, it was his time. He spent his last night and morning with us at home....but he chose to curl next to us in bed. Since being sick, his new normal routine was isolating himself in the other room on his window perch, or he would sleep at the foot of the bed.  Nope, he chose to curl next to us. Also, prior to his death, we had been playing Hawaiian music...as he always seemed to enjoy it.  He first was injected with a sedation to make him sleepy. But the 2nd injection was the final one to put him to sleep....I couldn't bear to be there.  Jason was there, and he said that right when the vet called his time of death, the music on the Pandora station stopped playing.  I came back up, said my tearful goodbye as we prepared domino and put him in the special box Jason made for him.  When Jason nailed the lid on his box...the Hawaiian Music resumed.  That definitely was a tender mercy...and I know I felt a few of those after my dad passed too.  There is no explanation or logic, just special moments of comfort.

 

As I look back, and see all the memories, the happiness and joy Domino has brought to our family, I realize that he has fulfilled his purpose here.  The simple life lesson is that Life is Short...and how we choose to live it for good and righteous ways, or for careless, apathetic ways.  Domino chose to bring love and happiness into our lives for almost 17 years. Simple as that.  I do believe he is frolicking and hanging out with loved ones in heaven.....enjoying all the catnip he wants.  He will be missed but never forgotten.