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Last Friday, Penny and I were faced with an impossible decsion. Sadly we had to say farewell to the sweetest kitty anyone will ever be fortunate to know and love. Beeper wasn't just family, she was a huge part of our world for nearly 17 years. Penny adopted her from an animal shelter in 1993, and a year later Beeper adopted me! A beautiful, mostly white "pastel calico" with a heart so loving, she was my constant companion - my studio kitty. On days when I could find nothing redeeming about the human race, there was Beeper purring away, coaxing our love and adoration- and returning it ten fold! She displayed her gentle spirit in so many ways, even as she courageously battled one life-threatening disease, then two, and then three. At age four she became diabetic. Insulin dependent for most of the next 12 years. Beeper took it in stride and weathered it like a champ! Age and arthritis slowed her. In 2006 we thought we had lost her after some ugly cultures in her ear began to ravage the hair on her head and face. She had been poisoned (though nobody could prove it), one of thousands of pets sickened by a pet food additive from China that prompted that huge recall in the US. We nursed her back to health. At that same time, Beeper was diagnosed with heart problems. The left side was failing. Specialists prescribed an experimental drug that had shown remarkable success in dogs. Cats had never been tested. The drug itself could only be gotten from Canada. Beeper took it for two years, continuing to amaze vets with her ability to bounce back. At the time of her death her heart was her strongest vital organ! But, in the end the treatments - and lifelong diabetes - had compromised her liver. Disinterested in food and suffering with a gall bladder ailment, our once 20 lb cat was slipping away- a mere 8 pounds a week ago. It was so painful to watch, knowing there was no way to safely help her; she would not have survived the meds regimen, say nothing of exploratory surgery. It would have been selfish and cruel to put her through all that. Our little girl is now at peace. Her indominable spirit and gentle soul remain with us. We will forever love you, Miss Beeper. We thank you, with all our hearts, for loving us, and for filling our lives with joy and happiness. ~ Mom & Dad |