When I was a little girl, all of my friends had pets. I wanted a kitty so very badly. I begged my mom and dad for weeks which soon became months. I wanted a kitten so much. Every time I would ask, however, would always end up in a no and me stomping off to my room.
Well, my birthday rolled around and I got everything I wanted. Except one thing. Then later that night, my mom came in my room with something behind her back. I asked what it was, then I heard a soft meow. I jumped up and squealed in delight as I first layed eyes on my new little kitten. My mom asked what I was going to name my little gray ball of fluff, and I quietly replied, “Alley.”
Over the years, Alley was the dream pet. She always came to the door when I came home from school, was always ready to play before dinner, and always ready to sleep when it was time for bed. She slept in my room, and always curled up in the cutest little ball. She followed me wherever I went, and she was always a friend when I didn’t have one. She was my pride and joy.
Well, I got older and became less and less interested in being home. I became friends with more and more people, and had more and more things to do. When I was home, however, Alley was there to welcome me. She was getting older, so she became tired quickly, but was there to play when she had the energy. She was there whether or not she was tired.
One day last February, I noticed her walking with a limp. I figured that she had gotten one of her claws caught in the carpet again, pulled too hard, and now it was sore, so I didn’t give it a second thought. About a week later, the limp hadn’t stopped, so I told my mom that we needed to take her to a hospital. Turns out that the limp was more than I thought. Alley’s heart was too big for her, which meant she was having severe heart trouble. She had thrown a blood clot into her paw while playing around one day, and it was causing her limp. She didn’t have a long time to live. Of course at this point she was around 11-12 years old, but I still didn’t want to believe it.
We took Alley home with heavy hearts. She didn’t eat anything for quite a while, and only drank when completely necessary. It was like she knew it was going to happen. Soon enough, we began to see her skeleton through her skin. I decided she needed another doctor’s visit.
The doctor examined her, and came back with one of the hardest blows I had ever received. Alley was in pain, horrible pain that worsened by the minute. Her living was just a cruelty, and he suggested that Alley be put to sleep. I didn’t want to believe it, and to make matters worse, my family decided that since she was my cat,
I would be the one to decide.
I chose to put her out of her misery, but I wanted to take her home just one last time. We took her home, and she stayed with me as always. All night I was up, and she was up with me. She and I stared at each other for hours, and during this time, I realized that she knew. She was looking at me as if to tell me that she knows this is the end, and she will see me when its my turn. Needless to say, I pulled her close to me and dropped tears into her soft gray fur.
We drove her to the hospital the next morning, and I held her close. The doctor came out and explained what he was going to do, then asked to take her. I couldn’t let go at first, but finally handed her to him. He couldn’t find the vein at first, because she hadn’t eaten or drank anything in quite a while, so in addition to the pain I was already in, I had to watch him prod her with a syringe several times. He finally got it and I burst into tears. I cried for a very long time.
I loved Alley like any owner could love a pet, and I miss her so much to this day. I hope to see her soon in heaven, and I know that as soon as I get there
we will play like we did when I was little.
I will miss you with everything,
| Alley |
| 11, Mar 2005 |
| Mommy |