It's always a sad time when it comes. I'm sorry that it's that time for you.

The first pet I had to put down was feral rescue kitten. She was under my wife's grandmother's hedge and had to be captured. We had her for 17 years. She was never a very affectionate cat, preferring to honor us with her presence by strutting through the room. I never felt close to her, and was surprised at how much it emotion was there when it came time.

The second was another rescue. A dog this time. Someone drove through our neighborhood and literally threw him out of the window of a car. My kids adopted him and asked to keep him with the usual promises to take all the responsibility for his care. While he adored running and playing with the kids, he became my dog. it was 13 years later that I had to put him down. This time the emotions didn't take me by surprise. We had several cats in the years that my kids were growing up. But they were outside cats and simply didn't come home one day.

Our current kitty, "Princess Bobbi" is an indoor cat. Another rescue of sorts. We are her second owners. The first was a woman who was the only one who liked cats in her house. She became ill, with a long term illness. Her husband and refused to do anything for the cat. The woman arranged with a friend to take Bobbi and re-home her. We were the lucky people who got to take her home.

While it took her a while to warm up to us, she's a loving kitty and a loved kitty. As I type this, she's curled up against my legs as I sit on the recliner. It's one of her favorite places to nap. We all love her and spend time with her often throughout the day. She always licks our hands when we first approach her. I'm told that licking is a form of acceptance as family.