Goodbye to Our Great Cat Smokie

In November I shared that our cat Smokie was behaving differently and losing weight.
I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling that things were changing and I let the kids know.
Smokie seemed ok after that, so we just carried on. I just didn’t know how sick she really was,
and I certainly didn’t know that she was going to die on Monday February 6th, 2017.

Jadyn and Tanner called me from the basement in a panic and said something was wrong with Smokie. They carried her upstairs. She couldn’t move her legs and she was breathing fast.
I had that helpless feeling and wanted to run to the vet with her, but I knew, took a deep breath and waited. We snuggled on the couch and right before our eyes she was dying.
She was almost 16. There would be no drastic measures to save her life. We just had to be present. Geordie was at work, so Jadyn, Tanner and I took turns holding her and pet her continuously and told her how much we loved her.

We cried the whole time. Her body made strange movements and sounds. It was uncomfortable and unnerving but we stayed right there with Smokie. We held her and loved her for five hours, until she took her last breath. We kept holding her, not wanted to let go.
It was so hard, but I know that loving her so much all her life and right to the very
end of her life, will help our hearts to heal.

“Thank you, Smokie, for all the love you gave to each and every one of us, for not leaving our sides when we were sad, for the morning snuggles, for always wanted to be near, for loving us unconditionally for 16 years. We really loved you back and miss you already.
​You were a part of this family and a really great cat!”