In Memoriam.......

Casa Grande, AZ      (Click on Pictures to Enlarge)


Today we lost a beloved member of our family, our cat Willey.

Willey had fallen ill over the weekend, and was not eating or drinking anything, and was very lethargic.  First thing Monday morning I called a local veterinarian's office and they were able to get us in right away.  A battery of tests were performed on Willey, and he was given subcutaneous fluids, as he was very dehydrated.  He was also given something to stimulate his appetite.

During the remainder of the day yesterday, Willey showed little to no improvement.  We received a call from the veterinarian with preliminary results of his blood work, which painted a grim picture.

Steve and I discussed our options, and as it became painfully clear that Willey was not getting better, and seemed to have difficulty in finding a restful position that was comfortable for him, we knew what we had to do.  So, this morning we said good-bye to our "son".

Surveying his kingdom back in VA

Willey was adopted from a no-kill shelter in Virginia in July of 2000.  He would have turned 14 on March 5th.  I went to the shelter to find a companion for our other cat, Zachary, and Willey fit the bill perfectly.  He was sweet, gentle, intelligent and curious.  He also got along well with the Golden Retrievers we had at the time.



The lady who ran the shelter knew the personalities of each of the cats intimately.  She told me that I had to "earn Willey's purr".  Since that time, every time I have heard him purr, it made me smile to remember her comment.  Last week, before he got ill, he purred the loudest I have ever heard him.

Surveying his "ever changing" kingdom on the road

Throughout the years, when we took vacations in our RV, we would leave the cats home, and take the dogs with us.  In 2007, when Steve and I decided that we wanted to RV full-time after we retired, we started taking Willey along with the dogs and us, to get him used to the lifestyle.  (He was our only cat at this time). He took to RVing like a duck to water, and has been an excellent and adaptable traveler ever since.

Willey, we love you and miss you so much.  The coach is so empty without you.  We will miss your curling up in bed with us each night.  We will all be together someday at the Rainbow Bridge.