Finally!

I know it's been forever since I've posted but the last couple of months have been very busy and filled with changes. Shortly after my last post our cat Gordon took a turn for the worse. He'd been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in April. He seemed to be responding well to the medication but then developed high blood pressure and then his kidneys began to fail. And while he fought a brave fight, he was just too old and became too frail to fight anymore. It was a very difficult decision but we knew it was best to let him go. We decided we didn't want him to be alone in his final moments so we all went with him to the vet and while Shane waited in the waiting area with Christian, I went with him into the exam room. As Christian requested, he was wrapped snugly in Christian's favorite Superman blanket. Gordon loved to curl up on it and nap on Christian's bed. As the vet began the process I held him in my arms and sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and the Itsy Bitsy Spider to him until he drifted off and took his last breath. Afterward, Shane and Christian came into the room to see him one more time and give him one final pet. A very sad and emotional experience for all of us but I think it helped Christian to understand and accept that he was really gone. He was very brave and handled it exceptionally well. Gordon was a part of our family for a very long time and we miss him terribly.

Christian & Gordon - 2009

In the week afterward it was very hard for me to come home to an empty house. I knew it wouldn't be long before we'd have a furry friend in our family again. Shane and I talked about maybe getting a puppy but ultimately decided Christian was still a bit too young for the responsibility of a dog. We liked the idea of getting another cat from a rescue shelter. So I started looking around at a few places. The weekend rolled around and Christian and I headed out again to the local shelters. One of the places we went back to was a place I had visited earlier in the week. And while there were lots of wonderful kitties there, Christian was particularly drawn to two little black ones. We learned that they were bonded brothers and they would only adopt them as a pair. We also learned that they were miracle kitties who had survived contracting distemper from their mother during birth. This is usually fatal but somehow these little guys had the will to live. We decided it was meant to be and brought them home with us that night. Their shelter names were Mac and Toby and Christian thought that if we changed them they might be confused so they remain Mac and Toby. They've adjusted well to their new home and we have all fallen completely in love with them. We are sure that Gordon would be happy knowing that his paws were so big to fill we had to get two furry friends!

Mac and Toby