Goodbye my little mate

Today I had to have Benedict put down. I'm absolutely devastated.

He was much sicker than we thought on Monday and it's probably brewed for a month. I wasn't comfortable leaving him at home today and dropped him at the vet on my way to work. I'm so glad that I listened to my gut and did that.

Bene deteriorated and a chest xray and drawing some fluid out revealed he had lungs full of pus. The vet did everything he could but my little survivor who overcame a crappy start to life, abandonment, and living rough for a month, couldn't overcome this challenge.

He had a condition called pyrathorax and usually it's fatal in cats. A month ago he either had a cat bite in his chest that healed but left bugs inside that percolated and made their way into his lungs. Or he inhaled a grass seed that lodged in his lung tissue and slowly an infection developed.

We'll never know which and it's academic, the outcome was the same. Cats hide so much and there was absolutely nothing to suggest to me that my energetic, full of personality little pope was ailing. To have any chance he needed intervention 2 weeks ago but there were no outward signs. He ran, played, jumped, ate, and loved with his usual bouncing energy.

My beautiful little mate had a short but joyous life. He loved his mummy and I adored him. Benedict means 'blessed' and we both were.

Benedict was brave, intelligent, funny, a rascal, and I thought we'd have many years of companionship. It was not to be and my heart is breaking.

Rest in peace little man.

Today's gratitude: For the privilege of giving Benedict a second chance and a wonderful life.