Over the last week Minerva’s health
deteriorated rapidly. Her breathing became more labored, she wasn’t eating much
at all, and when I picked her up she would be struggling to breathe and seemed
to be in pain. I was lost as to what to do and Kirby was away from Monday to
Friday. On Friday afternoon I made an appointment with the vet for yesterday
(Saturday) morning. I had a fading hope that something more could be done for
her, but I knew that this was unlikely.
On Friday night I lay down on the floor
beside Minerva’s little bed (she had taken to sleeping in the wardrobe since
she became ill) and I patted her and talked to her. I asked her to let me know
when she was ready to go.
In the early hours of yesterday Minerva
woke me up by pulling at the covers to get in under them with me for a cuddle.
She hadn’t done that since she became ill. She curled up next to me, purring,
and looking at me with those beautiful green-yellow eyes. Somehow I knew she
was telling me she was ready.
Kirby woke me up in the morning and Minerva
was under the quilt in between us. We gave her cuddles and told her we loved
her for near on twenty minutes. Kirby said that Minerva had eaten some tuna (one of her favorite
foods) for breakfast.
When I got up yesterday morning I was amazed
to see the sun shining. Friday’s weather was stormy and cold and yesterday was
supposed to be the same. I had said to Kirby on Friday that it wasn’t fair that
Minerva wouldn’t get to sit in the sun again. But, the storms and clouds held
off long enough for Minerva to sit in her favorite chair by the window, taking
in the garden and the warmth of the sun, one more time, while we got ready to
take her to the vet.
We told the vet, at the clinic, that we
thought it was Minerva’s time to go because she was getting worse. He was
surprised by what we said – until he examined her. Her lung capacity was 10%
and her heart was under so much pressure that she was in pain. I asked if
anything more could be done even though I already knew the answer. The vet said
that we could double one of her medicines, but that this would affect her
kidneys, and the best we could expect was for her to live a few more weeks – if
the medicine worked at all.
We knew it was time to let her go. We didn’t
want her to suffer anymore and I couldn’t bear the thought of her dying during
a seizure, or from a heart attack, and I especially didn’t want her to die
alone.
Minerva died in our arms at 10.30 yesterday
morning – 15 years, 4 months, and 7 days from when I first saw her in the pet
shop and knew that she was mine and that I was hers.
My love is with you always my little angel.
