Today was a sad day...

Today, my parents had to put down our cat Mikey. For those of you who know me, know that I do not like cats. I am a dog person. We got Mikey when I was probably around 11-13 years old. I can't remember exactly.

He was a Maine Coon Cat. We rescued him from Petsmart. He was a beautiful cat. He was so fluffy and his colors were gorgeous. Throughout the years, I got irritated with him and started to dislike him. It was obvious he had some anxiety because when we would go out of town, he would pull his hair out from the base of his tail. I would always gripe and say how weird and disgusting it was. As he grew older, you could see his age wearing. His skin started to get bad and he moved a lot slower. My Dad loved that cat. He would jump up in the recliner with my Dad every night and lay in his lap. He would pur and pur and pur. He would follow my Dad EVERYWHERE. Even if my Dad walked outside, Mikey was waiting at the door for him.

In the last 3 weeks, he took a turn for the worst. My Dad first noticed it when he would no longer jump up in the chair with him. Then he quit eating. I think he ate 2 small bites of wet cat food in a total of 2 weeks. I think my Dad was in denial and was prolonging taking him to the vet in fear of losing his best buddy.

This morning he finally took him to the vet. She told us he was old and tired and that he was trying to tell us. All he had been doing is sleeping in his cat carrier. He would come out about maybe twice a day for water and that was it. She guessed that he was probably about 17 which is very old for a cat.

So today, my Dad put Mikey down. I think it was very very hard for him. When my mom texted me at work this morning, I got the biggest lump in my throat. I had to get off my phone for a few minutes because it was as if I could barely talk without bursting into tears. I held it back all day. As I write this, I am bawling like a baby. For someone who doesn't like cats, he sure did a number on me. He is probably looking down at me and laughing and saying "That's what you get for shaving me down and making me take baths all those times."

I think the hardest part of today was talking with my Dad and watching him fight back tears. My Dad loved that cat, and I know he will miss him dearly. They were buddies. Mikey loved my Dad, and my Dad loved Mikey.

After this post, y'all probably think I am a crazy cat lady. Well, I'm not. I just haven't had the chance to express my feelings or cry at all today. I will miss Mikey. He was the only cat I've ever had. And probably the last.

RIP Mikey. You will be missed by all of us.