For love of Jake, my sweet and loving friend.

Tweet

An old and dear friend is ready to leave us. His name is Jake, and he just turned 17. He was frail to start with, and he caught a cold last week that is going to be the end of him. He's a sweet tortoise shell tabby, and he was very shy and retiring when I first met him, 14 years ago. He was my partner's youngest cat when we moved in together. One of his favorite activities was to scamper back and forth and chase his tail on the second floor banister. One day, he stopped playing and stared at me, as if he expected me to do something. He had his butt stuck up in the air, so I started to beat it (very gently!) with one hand. He LOVED it! That became his most favorite thing right away, and he demanded to play just about every time I walked past the stairs. His personality blossomed, too, revealing a sweet, affectionate baby who loved to be held and fussed over. I started calling him Butt Boy, which he learned to answer to. Over the years, his nickname evolved to Jakey-Jakey WhattaButt, which I still call him today. There's just a few hours, or perhaps a day, left in his life. We talked about having him put down, but he still purrs, eats and drinks a bit, and holds on tight with his paws when we hold him. He still gives and receives love, so we're letting him pass away at home. We're caring for him round the clock, and he seems comfortable. He deserves a better end than a cold and painful needle in a scary place. He will die with lots of love, just as he lived. He's a wonderful friend, and we will miss him terribly. Goodbye, my sweet, silly Butt Boy!