Bobbie Jo and I have just returned home from putting our cat Emma to sleep. It was the most difficult thing that either of us have ever had to do. She was a crabby kitty, but we loved her very much. She will be greatly missed.
In January of 2000, after a particularly bad 1999, I felt the need for some companionship. On January 15, Emma (named for the cage "M-4" that she was rescued from)came home to my studio apartment to live with me.We've been through a lot together. She was with me as I moved into the house that later became the first house I owned. When I met Bobbie Jo, got married, moved to our new house, and brought baby Max home from the hospital- she was always waiting for us at home. Many things changed, but Emma was always the constant.
She grew fatter over the years, and crankier. She suffered from health problems for as long as we can remember. Bobbie Jo and I remember crying while force-feeding her on the kitchen floor of our old house. She had no energy from not eating in a week, and was at death's door.I don't know that she was terribly thrilled when Max became mobile. She was always gentle around him, though usually scurrying away if she was able. Max called her (and most cats) "emma", who knows how long that will last. It's too bad he probably won't remember her when he gets older.
Emma was my first real pet, and I will never forget her.
We love you Emma B, you will be missed.
