We’ve had four cats between two neighboring homes.  One was put to sleep a few years ago, and our two this spring.  Now today Pele will be put to sleep at 10:30.  She has been the huntress of the four cats.  The other three were mellow and uninterested.  Pele is now 6 pounds and her vet for her 17 years says he no longer has the heart to euthanize pets so they’ll use our vet.  I think of what it is to be a vet.  One enters the field because they love animals, and of course putting an animal to sleep is an act of kindness and love, and yet I see how it would wear one down.

I’m grateful for those who do jobs most of us could not handle.  I think of what it is to go home after a day where that is a part of it, and yet it is essential to relieve our pets of suffering and pain.

I’m grateful for all the joy our furry friends bring to us and grateful for those who help them move on, and I feel sad as we have to let them go. There’s no way around the pain and grief.