On October 7, 2006, I lost my lifelong friend and protector.
My cat, Sebastian, (“Bazzi” for short) was a beautiful apple-head, seal point Siamese, that I adopted from a family friend when he was about 3 months old. He had a wonderful spirit about him, and we immediately formed a bond.
We became very close over the years. He always seemed to know when I was depressed or worried about something. Bazzi was not much of a lap cat, but would always make an exception when he thought it would help me feel better. He became so attached to me that he would protect me from anything that he thought was trying to hurt me…including my future husband! My husband and I have been married now for 13 years, and he’ll be the first to tell you that Bazzi would tear into anything to protect his Momma. Even though he had no front claws, Bazzi used his back claws and teeth with the skill of a martial arts expert! My husband has the battle scars to prove it! Of course, my husband never hurt me, but any loud noise coming from me (whether it be a loud laugh from an unsuspecting tickle, or a short squeal of delight) would cause Bazzi to immediately change into attack mode. My husband always called him my personal “attack cat.”
Bazzi was always there to comfort me and protect me, and I promised to always do the same for him…no matter what. I never realized how hard that promise
would be for me to keep.
I was blessed by my Bazzi for 14 years…that is, until the awful disease robbed him of his beautiful spirit. At that point, he didn’t seem to be in pain, but his quality of life had vanished. He became thin and lethargic. He no longer enjoyed sitting on the windowsill to watch the birds, or stretching out and warming himself in the sunlight. My Bazzi was slowly slipping away.
The awful kidney disease forced me to make one of the hardest decisions of my entire life. The night before his last trip to the vet’s office, I was sitting on the couch in the living room and Bazzi was lying on the back of the recliner…as he often did toward the end. I became very sad and began to cry as I thought about saying goodbye to my friend. Suddenly, and without warning, Bazzi (as weak as he was) jumped down from the recliner and climbed up into my lap. He stared into my eyes for a long time, as if to say that it was okay and not to be sad.
My husband and I was with Bazzi when he passed. It was one of the hardest things to watch. Thank God it was quick and painless! I wanted Bazzi to not be afraid and to know that it was okay to let go, and so the last thing he saw on this Earth was me. At that moment, he seemed to be at peace, knowing that he lived a good life and that he was loved so very much. The vet was very kind and said that we did the right thing. I know in my heart that we made the right decision. I truly believe that no living thing should have to suffer needlessly. Believe me, I wanted to keep Bazzi here with me a while longer, but I knew that would have been selfish. I loved him so much that I just had to let him go.
I have so many fond memories of Bazzi that I will never forget. Although he has only been gone a short time, I already miss him terribly. It’s hard to imagine life without my Bazzi, but I know that I was blessed to have him for 14 wonderful years. I will forever miss my special friend!
With love always,
| Sebastian {"Bazzi""}" |
| 7, Oct 2006 |
| Alisha Brooks |