I found Zoe in the alley behind our house. She was a young adult, chocolate Siamese cat. Im not sure why she selected me, but all I did was call to her & she came. My wife Jill & I already had two cats in our household. We were recently married, and each of us brought an adult cat into our now combined lives. We kept the Siamese separated from Brittany & Diva to insure that she was abandoned & had the vet confirm that she was healthy & spayed. Who would give up such a beautiful cat? she was our gain, & quickly became a member of our family. Zoe survived both Diva & Brittany, & was later joined joined by Chester.

Last month, just before Christmas time, Zoe began showing symptoms of illness & old age. She was always very healthy, no issues in her long life. Zoe started acting odd. Not
eating was her first display of not being herself. We tried all types of food & found she did like gourmet chicken/salmon. Jill took her to the vet where she was given a saline injection & an appetite stimulant. The vet was honest with us, saying that she was a senior and we could do many tests, which we declined. The week following the vets visit, she seemed to perk up, eating, talking, and being more alert. right after the new year holiday,
she quickly went downhill. We knew. Zoe began to eat very little and would not drink water. Jill & I each researched sites such as this to prepare for "senior/dying kitties" Jill
made a little bed for her warm & soft near her favorite place in the house, next to the dining room radiator. for the next two weeks she ate or drank very little. We made a phone call to the vets office to prepare for a home visit euthanization. Typical pet owners,
cat lovers are uncertain as to the "right time", and are told, "you will know". You will, & each pet & its human are special. One morning Zoe surprised us by appearing at our bedroom door, on the second floor of the house. A remarkable feat since she had been unable to walk more than a few feet the day before. Since she stopped eating, she lost most of her body
weight, was very thin & had no muscle tone in her back legs. This past weekend, I was able to spend almost the entire day of Saturday with her. She sat in my lap, I read to her,
we listened to quiet music, & she seemed very happy & relaxed. Jill & I spent most of Sunday with her, we knew it was almost her time. She could not lie down, but slept in a
sitting up position, her eyes half closed. At this point she was being quite uncomfortable,
a step before suffering or being in any pain. She had not used the litter box in days. Monday morning she looked worse. We called the vet, who was available to come to our house in two hours. the office called to confirm the appt & also called 20 minutes before the vet would arrive. Jill made a little bed for Zoe on the sofa, and put together a special Ipod mix for her. The timing of the music & its lyrics was remarkable & set a special mood for Zoes final minutes. Jill & I took turns holding her, I held her near my heart when the vet gave her the first injection, a sedative to relax her prior to the final injection.

Zoe went very peacefully. She died with my hand holding her little head, Jills hand on
her chest. I held her for over two hours. We then moved her back to her bed on the softest fabric in the house, & Jill stitched shut a special "pocket" for her. Together, we
buried her in a grave in our garden, next to Diva & Brittany, with an angel statue marking
her.

Zoe was ours for over 19 years, and will forever be our special little baby girl kitty.