![[title of show]](http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/ShephardSummers/titleofshowsm.jpg)
Friday, July 30, 2010
The Little Prince Who Stole My Heart
Our first kitten, our first Abyssinian, our first Little Cheese Monster. Our Rugby, named after the little Christmas Tiger in Jim Henson's "The Christmas Toy."
My heart is breaking, because we have to let him go. He has liver cancer, and is failing fast, and I just can't let him suffer, knowing he doesn't understanding what is happening. We move in 3 days, and the shock of an entirely alien house with nothing familiar would be so traumatic. Just can't do that to him.
He is as cute as he is beautiful. 
Shy yet very affectionate, always willing to kiss a stranger on the nose. 
To get him to purr, all you have to do is kiss him on top of the head. :)
I never thought having 4 cats sounded like too many. Until we have to lose 2 inside three months, and then I think that we will be happy loving and cherishing the two we have left. 
I mentioned his potential condition to someone, and that when there was hope, it was going to cost $4000. And they said, "For a CAT??" They said it as if it was the most ridiculous thing they'd ever heard. I wasn't mad. I thought... how tragic for them that they'll never understand. They will go their full lives and never have what we shared the last 17 years with little Rugby. 
Rugby, and Mokee (we lost her peacefully to old age 3 months ago...she was 18)
Rugby is responsible for my love of photography. With such a captivating and endearing subject, how could I not get the photography bug?
He loves squirrels. And cheese. And he most definitely loves us. 
I don't normally post pix of us on my blog... but... I had to post the above as proof to anyone who says cats are not demonstratively affectionate. 
I'll miss him more than words can say. I had to do this post before tomorrow, because I don't think I'll be able to after that. Goodbye, Little Prince. You are so much of the brightest part of the last 17 years. I love you.
~Shephard Labels: Cats: Rugby
posted by Shephard @ 