Our Tortoiseshell office cat, Pisco (pronounce peesco, after a Peruvian brandy), was euthanized yesterday at the vet's office. We adopted her in December 2007 from a local shelter. She had been suffering from kidney disease for some time and in the past few days had become very lethargic due to anemia. The only option would have been a blood transfusion which would have given her maybe three months at most. We are having her cremated and her ashes will be in an urn which we will keep in the office. She will be missed.
A poem for Pisco (with apologies to Emily Dickinson):
She died
And this is how she died
When her life was done
She packed her little bag
And headed for the sun
Her little figure at the gates
The Angels must have spied
Since we could never find her
Upon the mortal side.