I went to the veterinary hospital today to pick up Patches’ remains. She will sit on the window sill for now, but once the weather clears up she’ll go outside into the garden.

Rest in peace, baby kitty.

I took that picture tonight just after work. We had ordered some dinner and I was sitting on the chair in the living room messing around with my camera. She came into the room for a second, I snapped a pic, she walked out.

A few minutes later Jen said she seemed to be having trouble breathing. She was wheezing a little and her sides were extended, almost swollen. She was purring, but it had a weird high pitched sound. Jen said she was walking a little sideways too. Clearly something was wrong.

We put her into the cat carrier and she didn’t fight us at all. That’s a clear sign that she wasn’t right. I took her to a veterinary hospital in Lawrence, at the spot on route 114 where the Showcase Cinema used to be. They took her right in while I stayed in the lobby filling out the paperwork, and then I just sat there waiting. Eventually they brought me into a room and I continued to wait until the doctor came in.

She told me Patches was having a bad time. Her chest was full of fluid and it was putting pressure on her heart and lungs which made it difficult to breath. She said they could try to do a few things that would ease the pressure, but there really wasn’t anything they could do to fix her. They could keep her alive but they couldn’t make her well, and that wouldn’t be much of a life for her.

I called Jen and we agreed that it would be better to let her go. I went home while Jen called the kids. They came to the house too and then we all went back to the hospital to say goodbye. They brought us to a cozy little room and then brought a very sedated Patches in with us. We spent a few minutes showering her with love and affection and then the doctor came in and gave her an injection. She fell asleep almost immediately and then was gone shortly after.

She will be cremated tomorrow. They will send us the ashes. I’m not sure what will happen after that. I am sure that I am going to miss that tiny little baby kitty, even more than I ever would have expected.

Rest in peace, Miss Patches. Panic Panache Patches. Lady Penelope Clearwater. Lady Pachelot of the Rhode Island Pachelots. What else did we call her… Oh yeah, Alexander Pachelton.

Remember that scene in The Grinch when there’s nothing left in the house except for some crumbs that are too small for a mouse?

We took down all of the christmas decorations tonight so they wouldn’t be hanging over our heads as we prep for the trip to Disney.

This is all that’s left:

Patches is confused.