Unconditional Love

Back on May 28th, 1995, The Wife celebrated her 27th birthday. At that time, she was only the Girlfriend and had recently relocated to Chicago. Sitting around the house with the Middle Sister, I asked her what she wanted to do. "Let's go get a cat!" she said.

We weren't even living together, and The Wife-to-be was renting a friend's condo in the Hancock building. What that means is that the cat was coming to live with me.

Two hours later, at Kay's Animal Shelter, we selected not one, but TWO black and white kittens. They were littermates, a boy and a girl. They were eight weeks old. The girl, was a healthy two pounds. The boy was a runt, barely a pound and a half and with a respiratory infection. We named them Phantom (because she looked like she had a black mask) and Tippy (his tail had a white tip).

Needless to say, they both became healthy and on the fat side. They were great pets. They played with us. They didn't cause too many problems. They were great with the kids. Never once did they bite when the kids were infants. They tolerated hair and tail pulling.

Phantom was the more social of the pair. She'd follow visitors around the house. She'd jump on the table near where you were talking just to make the visitor pet her. And she used to beat the tar out of her brother.

About a month ago, I noticed she was losing weight. Two weeks ago, I took her to the vet to see what was going on. Enlarged gallbladder was the diagnosis. Was she in pain? I asked. No. Just that I should watch her closely to see if it ruptured. I'd know if she started throwing up a lot.

Yesterday morning, I noticed she had stopped cleaning herself. Despite that, she ate her breakfast, sat on my lap and walked around the kitchen. The One Year Old pet her and Phantom, as she always did, took in stride the soft slaps that a baby thinks is petting.

At 9:00 PM, I went in the basement. Phantom was having a seizure. I called The Wife and said, "It's time." We explained to The Six Year Old (he was watching Star Wars III with us) that Phantom was too sick to get better. It was time to say good bye.

Back in 1991, The Mother and I drove my 16 year old cat to the vet. That cat was suffering kidney failure. It was a hard drive. This was part of my childhood that was going away. Last night, one of the first things I shared with The Wife went away.

It's not as hard when you are an adult. You know when you get the animal what it's like to have to say good bye. Also, we still have her brother and The One, Three and Six Year Olds had clearly moved ahead in the pecking order.

But, for ten and a half years, she was part of us. Every day. Unconditionally. We will miss her.