Buddy of mine had a 22 year old cat. He was 24 when he died. That's a cool life with a cat.

TH, sorry for your loss, mate.

Here's a piece of Japanese art featuring a cat in honour of Eddie. The most beloved of feline friends, may he rest in peace.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/96e0bc62e...3htuo1_500.jpg

Thank you my friend: that's truly touching.
Thank you ribbons. Looks just like him when he was younger, except he was never quite that slim. :)
Sorry to hear that Plankton. This is what I wanted to avoid with Eddie. His legs were going; he couldn't eat much, drank very little, I think he was starting to lose his sight and hearing, and he was just so listless, sleeping almost all the time. He wasn't living, he was just existing, holding on. The best thing to do was to let him go, even though it hurts like hell. :(
Thanks man. It means a lot.
Thanks Marie: this really captures the essence of Eddie.

Thank you all again for your kind words and wishes. I'm sure Eddie is partying with Ritchie and Millie now up in Cat Heaven (if anyone doesn't believe in Cat Heaven, please keep it to yourself). The three amigos have been reunited.

Kitty was her Father's cat, and always by his side until he passed, so she took him and cared for him much the same way he did. Her Father was one of the most gentle and kindest people I've met, so they were quite the pair of loving and compassionate sentient beings.

You're most welcome. Long live Eddie, Ritchie and Millie. :beer:

Thanks for sharing that nice backstory - her father sounds lovely, as I'm sure she is too. Glad that Kitty remained in such good hands. :)

TH, I believe that all cats go to Cat Heaven. Eddie, Ritchie and Millie are probably living it up right now - while also missing you and Karen. You and Karen should be very proud of the great care and love you provided to Eddie. :love:

That's really beautiful, Marie - I love that. The image I posted is also Japanese, from a fabric design.

oh cool, the one you posted is definitely beautiful too!

Sorry to hear about sweet Eddie. It was a tough call, but I’m sure it really was for the best.
We had a cat who lived inside of 4 decades - got her in the 70’s and had her into the 00’s.
When our 16 year old Deja started having kidney failure and our vet had given up on her,
we changed to a homeopathic vet who added nearly 9 years to her life ... and then when
she was nearly 25, we could tell she was ready to go. After such a long time together,
it becomes so difficult to say goodbye, that you sometimes hear people say that they
had grieved more than if it were for a human family member.

Make a memorial to Eddie in a special place in your home
(cat bowl, favorite toys, pictures, etc.) and visit it regularly.

That's a really lovely idea, Rod.

Thanks for the thought, rostasi, but I'm not really a shrines kind of guy. Besides, just seeing things Eddie used is tearing me up, especially his water bowl and his food bowl, which remind me how tough it was for him towards the end, and passing his basket on the landing is a wrench every time I come out of my room. Even seeing his favourite armchair, the expensive orthopaedic recliner for Karen which he claimed and was sitting in even before I had signed for its delivery - though I'm glad he got to pass his final nights in relative comfort in his favourite spot.

I'll be getting his ashes sent back - they do them in a lovely little wooden casket thing with a brass plaque with his name on it - which will go beside the caskets of my previous four, Spooky, Debbie, Ritchie and Millie. They'll all be together again.

Thanks for the thought, but as I say it's just not me.
It is, and I appreciate it, but just not something I'll be doing. I don't need a shrine or memorial to remember my little gent.
Cats are too cool not to go to Heaven, though you have to be this cool to enter, I believe. The Gala Cat Ball is about to begin, as Eddie is announced down the sweeping staircase with his sister on his arm...