My heart is broken...

Yes, this is about Izzy.  Tonight, we had to do that last unselfish act that our furry family members count on us to do.  We were holding her when she took her last breath.

Things went downhill fast after having a good day on Sunday.  Without going into all the details, she was not able to eat or drink - we had to feed her with a syringe.  Our little furry girl was tough to the end, but this cancer was devastating.

There have been a lot of tears in our home (rolling or stationary) in the past couple weeks.  We were fortunate to find a 24 hour emergency animal hospital with truly compassionate staff.  They helped us through a very tough situation.

When we adopted Izzy from the animal shelter just over 9 years ago, we knew she had some medical issues, mostly lung related.  She and Joan saw each other in the shelter, and I knew from the first look between those two that this little girl would be going home with us.  Honestly, I was concerned about how frail she looked, but she grew to be a beautiful longhair, with gorgeous markings... and a wonderful personality.  She took to adventure, able to handle each new situation we threw at her.

Each of our cats have had unique personalities - Izzy reminded me of a small child, with a sense of wonder about each new situation.  She was at home in the boat, in the 5th wheel and motorhome, and in our Texas home... she always wanted to be where we were, and we always wanted her with us.

Our routines will be different - with the three of us being together all the time, the loss will be felt in almost everything we do... from mealtime to guitar time to lap time.  I will especially miss our walks.  I can't begin to speak for Joan, since those two had such a strong bond.  Izzy was her cat, and I was fortunate to be along for the ride.

I keep coming back to "sweet" to describe our Isabella.  She could be tough and stubborn when the situation called for it, but I always come back to sweet.  She was an 8 pound cat with the heart of a tiger, but the playfulness and impish ways of a kitten.  With that sweet little kittenish face, she knew how to work me... and I loved it.

Before taking her to the animal hospital, I played the guitar for her one last time.  We had a routine: I would sing and play, Izzy would come as soon as she heard me get a guitar out, Joan would join us with Izzy in her lap, brushing that luxurious silky longhair coat.

The tough time for her is over - we will get through the hurt and loss by recalling all the great memories.

Rest in peace, my lovely Izzy.