Gone but not forgotten...

Thanks to all you have posted, and others who have emailed me, and others who have spoken to me, about our old prince of a cat, Prince. He is gone. Literally. Here is what happened:
On Saturday afternoon, Prince was on his side, breathing heavily, emaciated, dehydrated and refusing to take anything by mouth. He did not seem in any pain. We, Caleb and I, (Cana and her dad were/are in Tennessee) decided to let him be...Caleb was not happy with me when I tried to force water and roast beef in to Prince's little kitty mouth on Saturday. Prince gathered whatever gumption he had and spit it out. Literally. Again, Philip and Caleb kept telling me just to let him go.

I got up fairly early Sunday, because I was preaching in Richmond. I thought I would find his body someplace outside our doors. I will confess I did not look too terribly hard. When Caleb got up, he looked again. Our upstairs neighbors looked. No Prince. I looked when I got home...Prince was gone. I do not know how he could have POSSIBLY moved out of our yard, his strength was so low. I think he probably simply did not want to be near to us when he died...either because he realized I was stressing because I worried about how to bury him (Philip though had told me how) (this is my self-centered theory) or, somehow, in his kitty soul, he had enough pride that he did not want us to see him when he was no longer who he really was---a good, kind kitty, who COULD have whacked his "adopted" silly-cat sister Maggie to kingdom come, many times, when she bugged him, but did not; a very bright kitty who actually knew words like "food" and "outside" and "Maggie" (his silly cat sister--his ears always went back when we said her name); a sweet kitty who even until Friday, after having not eaten or drunk water in three days purred when Caleb petted him. Or maybe, just maybe, a small chariot came down driven by four white mice, and took Prince bodily to cat heaven. Whatever the case, we are glad Prince was ours for 12 years; we miss him; and crazy Maggie is home alone. I put Caleb on a plane to Tennessee to meet up with his dad and sister and I am now at Mt. Sequoyah for Bishops Week. Would it be nuts to adopt a kitten from the shelter? But, there will never be another Prince.