this thread is sad. I'm sorry kenoki.

I'm so sorry, kenoki. So sad!

My guy Radar wants you to know that he's sorry to hear about Oscar as well.

Sad news to read this morning. I'm really sorry for your loss. This is the sort of thing that prevents me from getting one myself.

Goddammit.

It's so unfair.

As one who loves cats, I'm sorry to hear about Oscar. I lost my own Best Cat Ever a year and a half ago to a stroke; watching him fade away over the last few weeks of his life was a painful experience, so I sort of know how you must feel. Deepest sympathies.

That's sad news, Kenoki. My wife and I lost the little gray guy Waldo about a year and a half ago, and it looked like our other cat, Pandora (aka the Tiny Cow), was going to follow him a few months back before she made a dramatic recovery, so I understand how bad you must feel right now. Let's all charge our glasses with our beverage of choice and drink a toast to the memory of Oscar, and all the other fine felines we have known. Salut, kitties! You enrich our lives!

Kenoki, I'm so sorry to hear that Oscar didn't make it.

Those kinds of situations are really tough when money is tight, and you didn't realize how sick he was until it was too late, so don't blame yourself. By their own nature, cats can be very lazy and aloof, so sometimes we don't always immediately recognize when they're badly sick. That's how it happened with my cat a few years back. I didn't know how sick he was until I picked him up to carry him to his water dish and he was completely limp. If that had happened in the middle of the night like in your case, he probably wouldn't have made it either.

Oscar must've been a wonderful cat. I'm sorry for your loss. Do you still have any other felines around the house?

So sorry to hear. My heart goes out to you.

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the condolences. It helps to hear how much other people's cats mean/meant to them, and that I am not ridiculous for taking it so hard. Not to play favorites with my pets but Oscar was famously my favorite. When I finally woke up this afternoon, I did it crying and felt really weird about the fact that I couldn't really stop, until I read these messages. He had a good funeral. Last night we left him on our bed (this may seem gross) after he died for about 3 hours and had a mini viewing. Stacked a bunch of stuff that are meaningful to us (my favorite pants I've had since I was 15, my favorite rock, a lock of our dog Hank's hair, etc.) on top of him and just hung out and mourned. A little silly but I just didn't want to stop seeing him, if that makes any sense.

To answer Col. Panic, yes I have 3 other cats - two ten year old ladies, Keno and Audrey, that I have had since I was 18 and Marcel, Oscar's brother. Let's just say they've been getting extra doses of love today.

Thanks again for all the kind words and stories (I love to read them). It still hasn't totally sunk in that I'll never see him again or get to touch the pads on his feet, and the grief is still pretty fresh, but this kinda stuff helps it settle a little.

xoxo, Jackie C.

I'm so sorry Kenoki. Stay up.