I posted in here a couple of weeks ago asking about kidney disease. Since then Ronald has gone downhill rapidly. The anti-nausea meds aren’t working well enough to give him enough appetite to eat a meaningful amount, and he has wasted away dramatically. He hardly talks anymore, and his tail, previously always up and alert, is down and sagging when he walks. He can’t jump onto the table or the counter, and he’s laboring to go up stairs into the human boy’s bed, his favorite cozy spot. He may not make it until his vet appointment on Friday, but that is the day we’ve scheduled for him to go over the Bridge. I’m already mourning.

He has been our bitey, lovey, needy boi for almost 11 years. In the shelter we were looking at him and his littermates and he immediately climbed onto my wife and started chewing on her hair and YELLING. He never got out of the habit of climbing me and standing across my shoulders, no matter how big he got. He would come from across the house for pets any time one of us called him. When we adopted his sister Luna during COVID they bonded almost instantly, and would fall together into a cuddle pile and stay there all day. She can tell he’s sick, now; she meows and hisses at him like he’s a stranger, I suppose because he smells different.

We love you so much, Mister Ronald. I’m sorry for not giving you more attention. The human boy is sorry for sometimes cuddling you too roughly. I forgive you for being so bitey, I know it was how you told me you loved me. Thank you for being our boi.