This one's for you, Lazee-Boy

This is a very sad post about a very special little kitty.

Almost 10 years ago, around the time this (second) picture was taken, Nyk and I answered an ad in the Edmonton Journal for a "handsome blond cat to give away to the right owners". We walked into Amber's apartment and laid eyes on our beloved Lazee for the first time. It was love at first sight; well, for Nyk and me anyway.
Lazee was unimpressed, I'm sure, but Amber approved of us and Lazee came to his forever home. He was 4 years old.

Lazee and Amber had lived in an 8th floor apartment, so our 2-story condo with its staircase and close proximity to trees (and birds!) was a source of great amusement to Lazee. The first night he lived with us he found his place to sleep -- right beside my head, on my pillow. Every single night since he came to live with us, Lazee spent the night on my pillow.

Last Monday, Thanksgiving Day, Mr X and I discovered that Lazee's belly was distended and a bit hard. He seemed fine otherwise -- he was eating, purring, cuddling as he always did. We thought we'd better get him checked out anyway, and on Wednesday I took him to the vet. I was SO nervous to take him; I really didn't want to hear what they might say. 14 is old for a cat, even though he never acted old or looked old. Diagnosis: Tumor in his abdomen. The x-ray showed that it was on or either his liver or kidney, but it didn't matter which; it was bad. They sent us home with instructions to keep him comfy until the time came to bring him back in.

Thursday and Friday he was fine. I almost wondered if they made a mistake, even though I'd seen the x-ray. He was eating, he was cuddly, seemed happy as always. Saturday we didn't see much of him. He slept on our bed all day, but responded well to our petting and hugs. It seemed like we'd have him around for months. He slept on my pillow again Saturday night. For the last time.

Sunday Lazee spent the entire day on the floor beside our bed on his side, kind of curled up. He didn't come out to eat, he didn't even seem to notice when we pet him and talked to him. He didn't kick into insta-purr like he always did when we touched him. The lump on his side was really prominent. He didn't move all day.

Monday morning, no improvement. I came home at lunch and Nyk was crying. Lazee was laying on the floor in the spare room, same position. His tongue was half out of his mouth, his eyes were wide, almost wild. It was time. Already.

I called the vet and they told me to bring him down right away. I gently wrapped him in a towel and put him in the carrier -- that was the first time that he didn't fight me about the carrier. And that made me cry even more. Appropriately, Nyk was with me for his last trip, just as she was when we first got him.

So, he's gone. We were hoping for a few more years, at least a few more months. It never occurred to us that he'd be gone within a week. We are all a little shell-shocked. The other animals are even mourning. Mr X, Nyk and I knew we'd miss him, but we had no idea he'd leave a hole this big in our hearts.

We will never, ever forget him. We have so many stories (and a scar or two) to remember him by and we'll miss him forever.

I still can't believe it.