While I am a dog person, certain universals apply. My house was so very quiet and stark after I lost my Caesar. The same was true when my parents lost Goliath. Their house had a kind of deadness, even though two people lived there. It didn’t really come alive until they welcomed Candy. She’s now 13 and I fear what will happen to my 88 year old father when she passes. A few months after I lost Caesar I went looking for a puppy and adopted a rescue. Ramses has been with me over 14 years but now I live each day with his ever nearing end surfacing in my conscientiousness. I give him medication for his arthritis four times a day so that his movements don’t remind me how very old he is. We had a scare last week with his heavy labored breathing, but the vet hospital said it was due to him being in pain, hence the increased meds. While he’s fine now, it was a wake up call to how little time we’ll have left, no matter how much time it might be.

It is a tragedy of nature that dogs and cats do not live as long as we do.

I stumbled on your blog just now doing some reading on east London and was stunned to recognize Mr Pussy and even more stunned to learn of his death. I had fancied a reunion one of these days, taking a stroll through the old neighborhood, and it breaks my heart that this will never be. I am looking forward to reading through your posts about the life and times of Mr Pussy – this whole other side to him I never knew! My sincerest condolences, Gentle Author.