Wednesday, 27 May 2009

Aged Ken RIP

Today was all about Aged Ken, whose years are of course indeterminate. Jackie acquired him as a “rescue” in 1994 when he was a young adult between three and seven, so he is now between eighteen and twenty-two; a splendid innings for any feline. Ken’s health has declined markedly over the past month or so and even more sharply in the past week: he can barely miaow, he eats sparsely and has lost more than half his body weight, his back legs are near collapse, his eyes are dimmed, he wheezes, and he can no longer clean himself. We’ve been hoping for a miracle recovery, but to hope further would simply be cruel to him. We all have so many fond memories of him: I mostly remember his constant miaow for food and his habit of butting me when he wanted his ears tickled. It’s curious how a family pet can generate such strong emotions. This afternoon, Jackie and I took Ken to the vet for his final injection. Ken was dignified and the young vet was understanding. It was all over very quickly and as we said good-bye I may have blubbed just a little.