Sad News

I have both recent and belated sad news to report tonight.

The belated news first--I've put this off far too long already. Last year in the middle of my relocation to Las Vegas, we found out little Chewie (formerly known as Dwayne on this site) had FIV, the feline equivalent of AIDS. My sister returned him to the shelter in the hope he might be placed in another home (to avoid spreading the disease to their other cat). Unfortunately, he was very sick by that time. The shelter took good care of him, but he never recovered enough to be adopted, and ultimately, the decision was made to end his suffering. Chewie was one of my first two fosters. I still remember those wide eyes, and the way he was absolutely fearless around children of all ages, despite his own tiny size. It seemed so unfair that he was born with a disease that prevented him from having the chance for a long healthy life.

Now, a little over a year later, my sister once again has to comfort my niece and nephews over the loss of a pet. Their Egyptian Mau, Shadow, escaped their home over the weekend while they were away on vacation. He was injured and passed away in a neighbor's yard before he was found. Shadow was an awesome cat. He was friendly with every single person or animal he met. He even managed to make peace with my grumpy cat, Pablo, while he was boarding at their house during my move last year. Their home won't be the same without him.