Rough Week

Last Friday and Sunday nights it stormed so dramatically it woke us up. I love a good storm, but Sunday, especially, the lightning was so incessant the room was brightly lit. Monday night Kate had a nightmare and climbed into bed with us, where she immediately spread out like ink on a paper towel. That kept us awake, too. Tuesday night it stormed again, and woke up the dogs. Wednesday night Sarah had a nightmare. Thursday night Kate wet the bed.

So it was with heavy lids as well as heavy hearts, that we had to say farewell to our beloved Fluffernutter, Max. Maxie hadn't been doing well for some time. She had cancer, in the form of a tumor on her back. The vet said it's very common for pets to develop cancerous tumors there, because that's the choice spot for injecting vaccines. Then she said, to my dropped jaw and wide eyes "so now we vaccinate them in the leg, because if they get cancer there, we can just remove the limb". Anyway. They removed the tumor once, but assured us we were just buying her time, which we thought was a great idea. Max had stopped cleaning herself. She's stopped hanging out with us at all. She would occasionally hang out in the hallway and cry. It was time.


Jeremiah took the day off work, because he didn't want to be all up in Vampire Diaries' business while mourning his Other Woman. The one who preceded me, in fact. I went to work, so I had to say goodbye to her before I headed out this morning. She purred and nuzzled into my forehead, like she liked to do, and then I cried the whole way to work.

Most people knew Max as Evil Max, and it's true, she's drawn a lot of blood in her time. To us, though, she was sweet. She'd leap up on my chest at night as I tried to read, and make biscuits on me while purring away. Then settle in, right where my book should go. She loved crinkle fries and if you threw one to ground for her, she would stalk it like cunning prey until the time came to dismember and devour it. She used to love to beat the crap out of Lola. I'd like to think she's doing that right now.

Sarah took the news stoically, but Kate cried and cried. Having to explain to the kids that a beloved pet has died is just insult to injury. We miss Max, the world's most beautiful feline. I'm sure she's got a sweet paper bag coated in catnip somewhere now.