Marley, My Tough Little Guy

by Judith in California
(USA)

Marley came into my life like my other cats. He was a stray who lived around our Townhome complex long before my husband and I moved in in late 1999. He would sit and watch me from afar. I took in 3 other cats over the the first 5 years. Then my husband felt sorry for Marley. At the time we thought HE was a She and the mother of all the stray kitties. So we called him Momma. Well my husband talked me into to feeding him too so he became my outdoor cat. I fed him and bought him a little house to sleep and stay in when it was cold. HE knew right off it was for him and walked with pride. He let me pick him up. No one else could do that. He nursed himself well from several bites and come out alright. He would join and Callie and I on our walks and stick close by for his rubs and being petted. I grew to love him so much and wished he could live inside but he was a free spirit and wanted no part of it. HE would come in for an hour then want to go back out.

This past year he became ill so I took him to the vet and he had an anal sac abcess. That's when I found out He was a HE. I also found out he had been neutered and realized someone had abandoned this loving cat years ago. They took blood work and said he was suffering from hypothyroidism so I gave him the pills in his food as he would not let me open his mouth. Try as I might to hide them or camoflage them he eventually didn't eat them. He began eating very little. He would run to the food then sniff it and then walk away . He would eat some treats. After four days of this I decided to take him to the vet yesterday and he asked to take an X-ray . While I was waiting for the results I had a talk with God and said that if Marley had to suffer then I felt he should go home to to be with him.

The vet came out and showed Marley's x-rays and informed me had an enlarged heart and bad lungs
and told me with the hypothyroidism he would probably live two months and that it would become painful. I then told him I think it's time to let Marley go to sleep peacefully and be with God. It broke my heart my heart would hurt so much more for him to go hide someplace and die in pain and I wouldn't be able to find him. The vet told me he was glad I made the decision and if I had not he was going to kindly suggest I do so. That's when I knew I had made the right , humane, caring decision.

HE will now be in heaven with my husband Chuck and the three kitties I have loved and they passed away before., Butterball, Pepper and Spunky.
I love you Marley and will never forget you.