R.I.P. Bob

Today was a sad day indeed, as we had to put our beloved Bob the cat to sleep. Sometime last night he was hit by a car, as today we noticed he wasn't around like usual in the morning. We got a phone call in the early afternoon, and a neighbor of the clinic's found him in their courtyard. Seems he was lying on his side but when they went to try and pick him up, he scurried away. Even to the end, his alley cat instincts came through.

His left hind leg was shattered and he was in shock when he was brought to us. These past two weeks Bob had been steadily going downhill, as he lost a lot of weight and his arthritis was really wearing him down. It was a family decision (that's what we are, Bob's family) and we decided it would be kindest to put him to sleep. I really didn't want to have to be the one to do it, but somehow I always knew it would be me. He went gently and many a tear were shed, but we couldn't let our stalwart mascot suffer any more and for a cat to live to the advanced age of eighteen is quite remarkable - especially for an outdoor cat on a busy street.

I'll always remember him for his quiet but confident presence, his lordly manner, and his cheeky habits of always trying to sneak a hand-out in the break room. I do have a fitting sort of final memory of him. The other day, as I was leaving work, I cast a glance over my shoulder back at Bob (as I often do). Having just been turned out for the night, he was in the clinic driveway, with his gaze fixed on the horizon at something that caught his interest. Could have been a bird, or another cat, or maybe some people out for a stroll. Whatever it was he saw, when I got to my car and turned around again to look at him, he was gone.

And so he is gone now, off on some distant horizon, chasing prey and doing outdoor cat things.

Cheers, Bob.