In Memoriam: Ari Mulholland, 2000-2016

[thatcrazycajun]

For those not on Facebook: At approximately 10:00 am local time today, we finally made the unimaginably hard decision to free Ari the Humongous Orange Tabby™ from the pain and suffering of feline leukemia and help him take his last step over the Rainbow Bridge, with the aid of Dr. Barry Spencer, DVM at his clinic in Mbabane. He will be interred next to Rosita and his mother Lilith ("Lily" to us) in our back yard at some point within the next few days.

Ari had stopped eating altogether (his salivary glands had swollen massively, and I suspect kept him from swallowing anything but liquid) and barely moved at all the past few days, so we reluctantly decided it was time. May he, Rosie and his mother romp together forever in the Elysian Catnip Fields...and thanks to all who expressed kind thoughts and sympathy in his last days.

At least he is now finally free of pain...and just like that, we are now a totally cat-free household (for now, anyway). Below is a shot of Ari in his prime (and at his top weight, 22 lbs.[!!]) a few years back in Atlanta, when he and I were bunkmates while Songbird and the girls were living in Kenya.

Comments

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

May his memory always be a blessing.

I feel with you. I have lived through I got the number of guinea pigs who are fond of, but never of a large and rather intelligent nonhuman fellow creature. But I have had my moments and hours of terror, when I thought my beloved Ista was trapped behind something or under something in the house, or had slipped out and wandered away and I would never see her again, And recently – she's middle-aged now, eight or nine – concerns about her health.

[the-sheryl.livejournal.com]

{{{Matt and Mary}}} I am so sorry for your loss.

[hillarysherwood.livejournal.com]

My condolences for your loss.

[filkferengi]

We're so sorry for your loss, but so grateful for the many years y'all had with your critters.