So long little buddy

My cat Retro - my constant companion for the last 19 years, passed away this afternoon. I was with him, petting him and talking to him when he took his last breath. He has been going downhill for the past year or so…lots of trouble with his bowels, but he was lively and happy in every other regard…so we suffered through the incidents outside of the litterbox (daily) and talked about putting him down, but he was a member of the family. A few days ago, he stopped showing an interest in food. Last night he sought out a bathroom to lay down in and he never regained enough strength to stand back up. He was my buddy through a lot of good and bad times. I will miss him terribly.

Retro and me 18 years ago…


Hard to believe he won’t be up with me tomorrow morning as I’m making coffee.

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Very sorry to hear that Chris. It is never easy to say goodbye, especially when it is with a pet that has been part of your life for so long.

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I can feel for you. My Golden is reaching that time, too. She’s 15 years old and has degraded quite a bit. You best believe I will bawl like a child when it’s time.

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Very sorry to hear about your loss… :weary:

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oh no, I’m sorry for you Chris.
It’s so hard when these little guys go :cry:

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Thanks guys. Years ago I used to do battle with Retro…he was a cable chewer in his younger days. My whole computer setup required cable covers. He gave that up about 10 years ago though. Here is a picture of him from 10 years ago…note all the cable covers under the desk…LOL…

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lol indeed.
Was he also responsible of the arm rests ? Or maybe that was you :wink:

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holy ■■■■ that is some awesome DIY wizardry

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Very sorry for your loss Chris. The loss of a beloved pet is heartbreaking.

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Its a relationship that is not easily replaced. Sorry for your loss

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Sorry to hear Chris… They become such a part of family. How’s Kai taking it?
Kids don’t really understand at that age.

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Sounds like you gave him an 18 unforgettable years! It’ll get easier in time.

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So saddened to hear of your loss Chris. Even though I was exasperated to tears at times with my pets because of some undesirable behavior I wouldn’t give up a moment I had with them.

Wheels

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Man sorry to hear that Chris, looks like he was great cat. I love the pic of him in the chair.

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Better than me or my wife. LOL…we’ve been red-eyed all afternoon…and sort of wandering around the house. Kai knew Retro was sick and was told a couple days ago that he might be leaving us soon. But like you said, he doesn’t really totally understand it. After he passed away this afternoon, we called him back home from playing at a friend’s house so that he could say goodbye to Retro where he lay on a towel…he said some nice things, then asked if he could go back over to play at his friend’s house.

We live in a rural area, so instead of burying pets…we have a big firepit in the woods, so I made a huge bonfire and cremated his remains. A previous cat (an outdoor cat) had died last year and we did the same thing, and spread the ashes in the flower garden so we can think of them whenever the flowers bloom. I didn’t think Kai was ready for the whole “burning the cat” part, so I told him we buried him in the garden when he came home later. We’ll put a memorial stone in there to have something besides the flowers to look at.

19 years is a long time. He’d been with me longer than I’ve known my wife (by a year). Just a sad day today. But lots of great memories.

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That was all those nail biting moments in the Black Shark and EECH…lol…

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Sorry to hear of your loss, @BeachAV8R. It’s unfair that our little friends can make such a powerful impact on our lives and only be here for a short time. I’m sure you have lots of fond memories of him, and he was surely a happy kitty.

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Sorry to hear about your old buddy, Chris. You will see them again in your dreams. 18 is a good long time for a kitty.

Oh man, I am in tears just reading this. Sorry for your loss, @BeachAV8R :frowning:
I am still insisting that my beloved cat will live forever.

19 years is a very respectable age for a cat.

RIP, Retro.