Lost but Not Forgotten

An unanticipated function of a reusable grocery bag

At 7:00 last night Grenoble wheezed his last breath as I stroked his bony spine and soothed him with gentle words. After suffering from kidney disease, severe arthritis, and a litany of other health problems for the past sixteen months, his beaten body could take no more.  Life was drained from the shell of his former self before I could drive him to an urgent care to be put to rest.  Experiencing his last moments with him was both perfect and traumatic; he didn’t have to pass away alone, but the image of it will forever be seared into my mind.

Having been my constant companion since October 1998, my second year of law school, he shared a great many ups and downs with me.  He was a consistent comic relief throughout law school, my legal career, my transition into teaching, and two major moves across the country.  Grenoble never failed to make me giggle when I needed a positive shift to my day.  As a tribute to him, I thought it only fitting to share a few precious Grenoble moments and pictures.

• He got “lost” in my apartment a few times when he was an itty bitty kitten – one time he was stuck in the coils of the refrigerator, another he was trapped inside the back of my sleeper sofa.
• Grenoble, who I recently took to calling Little Man, didn’t use to be so little – a few years ago he weighed more than twice his final weight.  He ate so much I had to get a cat feeder to portion feed him and his Common Law wife, Mykonos.  Whoever designed the feeder clearly had never had a ravenously hungry male cat, because no matter what I did, Grenoble could get extra food out of it.
  

  Grenoble's recent man cave

• He wasn’t one to talk until I introduced him to Mykonos.  Having been a stray on a farm with a lot of dogs, she chose to bark rather than meow most of the time.  Soon Grenoble adopted the same habit.
• Finally, sleeping in bags or boxes or on newspapers or shoes, was a favorite past time for my beloved feline.  Whenever I couldn’t find him, I’d search in anything I thought he might be able to squeeze into.

Have you or someone you know recently had a pet pass away?  Share a little about him/her.

Below are the links to two stories I’ve posted about Grenoble and his wife, Mykonos – such sweet, fun memories.  I’ll continue to share tales of their twelve year companionship with you over the next few months.

Nine Lives Aren’t Enough When You’re In Love

I Don’t Remember That Being in the Job Description

Shortly before he passed away