I adopted you in May 1998. You were the most gentle and sweet creature of God. You were so docile. The whole 11 years we were together you never hissed and never got angry, not even once. You did not have a mean or angry bone in your body. I could pick you up and hug you and squeeze you anytime and you did not mind.
I went through a particularly difficult time in the fall of 1998 and as I laid on the couch in the midst of my depression, you would lay on top of my stomach. It was as if you wanted to be close to comfort me. You seemed to know I needed you.
You would sleep upstairs most of the day when I was gone, but you would greet me at the door when I came home. Then you would follow me around the house from room to room. You loved to lick plastic, get inside paper bags, sleep under the covers, and knead me. I would go to sleep alone at night, but often when I would wake up you would be there with me, sleeping in my bed. You also loved to be brushed.
The last several weeks when you were sick we spent a lot of time together. I brushed you a lot because you loved it. I did everything I could to get you to eat. I even bought at least 12 different kinds of cat food until I found one you would eat, but in the end you stopped eating that too. Last May you weighed 10 pounds. Now you were down to 6 1/2 pounds. When you started throwing up and could no longer keep water down I could not let you starve to death. Then when the internal medicine specialist confirmed you had cancer I knew I had to let you go. It was such a hard decision to let you go back to be with God, because I loved you so much. I wanted you here with me, but I could no longer let you suffer.
You were put to sleep on March 13, 2009 at about 4pm. I know you are now in heaven and are whole again, no longer hurting or suffering. You are playing, running free and enjoying your patch of sunshine………..you loved to find a patch of sun and sleep there. I can’t wait for the day we are reunited and we will spend eternity together with God and all our friends and family.
Shadow, you were truly a gift from God. I am so thankful for the almost 11 years we were together and I had your unconditional love and companionship. I only wish it could have been longer.
I will love you forever Shadow!
| Shadow |
| 13, Mar 2009 |
| Ilene Richmon |