We Love You, Blue

I apologise for the melancholy that will flow from this blip today.

We had the sad news yesterday that Blue's pancreatitis had returned. I'd taken him to the vet's yesterday morning for further checks after we realised he had lost more weight. Blood was taken for tests and we were called at tea time to be given the devastating news. We thought things through and have arranged for him to be put to sleep on Monday. He will be laid to rest under his favourite bush in the garden, the place he first lay when he first came into our lives over 5 years ago.

Blue first appeared in our garden in 2008 but at the time we still had a cat called Ivy. We had lost her sister only a couple of months earlier when Ivy also became ill and was put to sleep. It almost seemed serendipitous that Blue should arrive on the scene at about the same time. Where he came from, no one knows. That he is a tart of the first order is beyond question. He was probably living off handouts and we soon found out that he had charmed his way into a number of houses around the estate, begging for food.

He allowed us to take him in and he has shared our home ever since. A kinder, gentler cat would be hard to imagine. Faithful and loving he thrived on affection. We had no idea of his age, the vet suggested the possibility of 5 or 6, though it is very difficult to age cats. As we look back he has brought so much joy into our lives (along with a goodly array of mice and birds!). It is always hard to lose pets; we take such a responsibility for them. Particularly at this time of year it is hard to come to terms with his impending loss. We both agreed that we must not wait. There was a thought to leave it until after Christmas but that would have been for our benefit and not his.

I will lose my favourite model and I was surprised how often my blips have included him. I was so unsure whether to photograph him today but when I saw him on the landing, with his lovely pink pads on his paws in full view, I knew one more shot was in order.