Member-only story
Do the hard thing
That Time I Let My Beloved Cat Down
It haunts me to this day
“A pet is the perfect definition of unconditional love…”
― B.J. Shonk, Missing Pieces…Broken Heart: A Recovery Guide for the Grief and Sorrow of Pet Loss
My favorite cat was Big Boy. He was a black smoke Persian who chose me when I went to deliver old blankets and cat treats to the animal shelter. The cat loved me and showed me he loved me every day. At the end of his life, I let him down.
How Big Boy Chose Me
My spouse and I dropped off some things at our city animal shelter. The shelter attendant invited me back to see her give the cats the treats I brought.
In the back room, among the line of cages, was one with a red “X” on it. I stood next to it. I felt something on my shoulder when I turned to watch the attendant passing out cat treats. I turned my head. The black cat in the cage with the “X” patted me on the shoulder multiple times.
The attendant looked over and said, ”That’s interesting. He hisses wherever someone comes near his cage.”
The cat was a giant black mat of dirt, grease, and dried grass with bright blue eyes. She told me the cat was irredeemable because it was mean and had been on its own for a long time…
