Clea Part 2

We took Clea in to the vet today. When we arrived, they took us into a softly lit room with a plaid throw over the examining table and a rug on the floor. It was very nice. While we waited for the vet to come in to give her the sedation, she walked around the room - doing just what she wanted to do. The vet and the tech entered, chatted with us briefly, sedated Clea, and left us alone again, with the plan to return in approximately 10 minutes to give her an overdose.

It didn't take 5 minutes before Clea was relaxed, on the rug, right in a ray of sunlight. It was the first time in years, maybe ever, that I was allowed to touch her belly without fear of losing a finger. She lay there, seemingly quite comfortable, relaxed. Kevin pointed out that in fact, that might have been the only time in her entire life she was perfectly at ease. I let her lay there until the vet came in.

They laid her down on the table, shaved a little spot off of a back leg, and injected her, and as far as I could tell, she was perfectly content. It was rather uneventful overall, we just pet her and pet her, telling her what a sweet girl she was.

I kept telling Kevin that it was silly to cry this much for a cat that I wasn't that close to, makes me wonder if I should ever get another cat that is affectionate. It's sad to say goodbye and to be a part of the dying process, but on the other hand, I wouldn't do it any other way. It turned out to be sort of a sad and exhausting day, but I'm so glad that I was able to give to her a good life, a comfortable living space, and a gentle farewell.