Jarvis

Our Jarvis is gone. Steve and I had to put him to sleep last night. He was our little buddy for almost nine years so our hearts are broken.

He developed some kind of acute blood clot that made its way to his hind legs. I think the veterinarian called it a saddle thrombus. It was brutally sudden. I had worked from home and he was fine all day, sleeping next to his sister and then coming up to my office at lunchtime to say hi and get a petting. Then I found him down the basement crying. The vet said this kind of thing happens very suddenly so there was nothing we missed that would have indicated anything was wrong.

I think, I hope, we did the right thing, as hard as it was. Jarvis was in pain and couldn't walk. The vet said that his condition is one of the rare cases in which she recommends euthanasia, since there’s nothing much they can do. The end was peaceful and we held him and petted him.

I knew this would happen someday and he was getting older but I was hoping for a few more years with him. Still, maybe the suddenness was a blessing. He was in pain but not for more than a few hours. He was himself right up til the end.

As the vet said, Jarvis had nine amazing years and one bad night. We are very sad right now but that thought will be a comfort to us.

Jarvis came to us after Christie and Rich fostered him and we will always be grateful to them for leading us to him. He was a sweetheart from the start. I never understood how his previous (anonymous) owners could have given up such a wonderful cat. It was their loss.

We gave him a good life and loved him as best we could. Jarvis wanted a lot of attention and boy, did he get it. He was spoiled endlessly. He was always excited to see us and hated when we went on vacation. He was always on one of our laps purring. He treated me like a piece of furniture and I loved every minute of it. He was an easy cat to love and gave as much affection as he got.

Cerys seems OK. I think she knows something’s wrong because she saw him leave in the carrier. Who knows what she understands so far.

This morning was hard, not seeing him bound up the basement steps when we opened the door. Tonight will be hard when I sit down to read and he doesn't jump on my lap. We had it down to a ritual. Jarvis would look up at me with those expressive green eyes, jump up and start head-butting me. Then he’d flop on his back and expect a tummy rub. I am grateful now that last Saturday was a rainy day and we stayed home and he got hours of tummy rubs from me.

We gave him a good life but he also did so much for us. We were lucky to have each other. Jarvis was a gift to us and I always knew that. And I am so profoundly thankful that we had him in our lives. Rest easy, little guy.