We had to help our dear Sam across the Rainbow Bridge today. He had grown feeble; the poisons his kidneys were failing to remove rendered him unable to walk more than a few feet in a stagger; he could drink, but only a little and had stopped eating altogether.
I took him to the vet on Saturday because he had developed an upper respiratory infection, too. She gave him a long-acting antibiotic and, looking him over, said he looked very tired, “tired of life.” We gave him this chance to rally with sub-q fluids and comfort medications (pain killers and stomach soothers), but, although he was a fighter with a big heart, he just couldn’t beat everything that was wrong.
When I first started posting on TDK, I asked how I would know when to make the decision and many of you told me that Sam himself would tell me. And he did.
The time came when he failed to reach the litter box and peed lying on the floor, unable to lift himself out of it. He looked at me and said, “It’s time, Mom.”
Last night I stayed up all night with him in case he needed help. Around 2 A.M., he staggered from his round bed, came to me and looked up at his favorite place on our big couch, plainly saying, “I want up there.” And there he stayed, next to me, until we took him to Dr. Jones this morning.
At least he won’t be alone on the road to the bridge. If Tessie sees a handsome black and white stranger who wants to follow her, she should just say ‘Hi,’ and show him the way.
