by Corinna Boyle
Just recently I lost my cat Long John he was 20 years of age.A family friend who had just recently lost her cat had told us most cats do not even live to be 13 so I guess in some ways we were very lucky. And although I'm only a young teenager this cat was my best childhood friend.We knew he was getting worse when he stopped cleaning himself and during his final days he hardly could eat,drink and sometimes he couldn't even walk.It made it very tough for me because the day that we decided to put my cat down I had stayed home from school cause I just begun getting homeschooled.It was very hard that day to hold or even watch him.My mother got a vet's appt. and I went down with her and as we waited for the inevitable I sat and thought about what me and my cat had gone through together. My cat was one of those cats that ruled the rest of the animals in the house and you did not argue with him.He cleaned many of the cats we had and was always the first one to smack the other cats when they had started fights he was also always the first on to sit on your lap.But there are many trademarks I will never forget about this cat,when I was just a little child me and my little brother would dress him up in baby doll clothes and push him around in a stroller it never did bother him.My Long John also would stick his tounge out after you had been petting him for a while.So when the vet finally came in my mother asked if this was the only thing left for us to do and he had told us it was for the best, so as I sat there and cried I watched my childhood friend drift off to sleep and I gave him one last kiss and said goodbye and walked out of the room.I know he is watching me right now and is in a better place probably taking care of all the other kitties up there.So Long John I know your watching me so I love you and I will never ever forget you!