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Farewell to Luigi, an Exemplary Pussycat

OCTOBER 15, 2017
 Friday, October 13, 2017: I lost my eldest pussycat today. He began having seizures around 11am and I rushed him to the vet. I made the dreaded, but inevitable decision to end his life. He was about a year old when he showed up on our front porch in Rhinebeck and he has been a part of my life for 17 years. Luigi has been in failing health for a few months and has been deaf and nearly blind for most of this year. He was losing strength in his hind legs and it became necessary to take him to the vet for fluid infusions twice weekly because, even though he was drinking lots of water, he was dehydrated. He was eating modest amounts of food, but he kept losing weight. He weighed less than four pounds at the end. The vet said the seizures were probably due to an electrolyte imbalance. The seizures abated after I arrived at the animal hospital, but he began convulsing as I held him while talking to the vet about whether or not to put him down. Life brings us surprises, happy and sad ones.
 My dear pal, Will Osborne, came over shortly after I returned from the vet and we buried my sweet boy in a lovely spot on a hill above his property just outside of Great Barrington. We placed a large stone on his grave to mark the spot. We opened a rare bottle of Zebulon ale, created my son-in-law, Mike Karnowski, and raised a glass to my old feline friend. The next day, Will placed flowers on his rustic headstone. Rest in peace, sweet Luigi.






© 2024 Elwood H. Smith