It is with infinite sadness and the heaviest of hearts that I update our website with news of the great loss that our family has suffered recently. Last month, on January 16th, our beloved cat Vinnie passed away. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer just a few short days before. The day after the diagnosis, he stopped eating and began declining rapidly. Vinnie started pacing and isolating himself. He cried in pain when he was picked up, and his pain medication was not working. I knew in my heart that it was time to make the difficult choice to end his pain.

His vet, Dr. Grillo, greeted him at her office with her usual, “Hello, Mr. Handsome”. Only this time, she had tears in her eyes. After the first injection, Vinnie snuggled into me. I told him that he was loved and would be forever missed. He died in my arms while we all cried.

Everybody who knew Vinnie always agreed that he was a wonderful cat. He was more than “just a cat” to me. He was my best friend, my confidant, and my baby. I had him for more than half of my life, so the days and weeks following his death have been surreal. I keep expecting him to pop out at any minute, or start mowwwing in the bath tub for the faucet to get turned on in the slow drip he enjoyed so much.

Amelia misses Vinnie terribly. He slept in her bed every night, often snuggling up to next to her while she read him one of her library books. The cats have stopped looking for him, but they look at me sharply when I say his name.

I am so grateful for the nearly 19 years I had with Vinnie–the most amazing, beautiful, special cat I’ve ever known. He came into my life as a little golden-eyed kitten with white hairs on the backs of his ears sometime in early 1991. From the beginning, we were bonded.

He was a princely cat, always steering clear of disagreements with our other cats. He moved with me and Peter from Chicago to Edwardsville, IL all the way to Denver. He was a friendly, affectionate cat who enjoyed his supervised forays into the yard, being brushed with two brushes, and eating his favorite mushy food. My heart is absolutely broken over losing him. I will love him and miss him forever.

Until we meet again, my darling Vinnie.

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)–ee cummings