The Losses We Endure

It was 2009. She died in my lap. I do not agree with those who say animals seek to be alone near death, though perhaps some seek comfort elsewhere. My cat friend had been poisoned as had been her sister who had died earlier. Our vet was fairly sure it was deliberate. I was too, as I had found another cat garroted with a wire coat-hanger in our pasture. Now, my kitten held on to my legs and arms with claws that held tenuously. I was angry and sad, quivering as she passed from this life to her next. Ella consoled me but she and I both shuddered, broke down and cried. We could not prove who had done this but we suspected. We had witnessed the same meanness by our neighbors before toward our furry friends who refused to be kept safe indoors. What I could do was mourn….