Pyrite

We said goodbye to our beautiful mystery cat. Dix knew all her signs and with some groans undetectable to me, Pyrite told Dix that her time had come. I offered to do the last trip to the vet alone but Dix wanted to be with her too. Pyrite didn't mind much but with a sedative enough for a 20-pound dog she still managed to eke out a growl. We imagined Spook was there in spirit coaching her.

At home we laid her in a familiar spot with a single rose from Dix's Mother's Day bouquet. Next morning we got up at 4 am and drove down to Precious Memories in Fort Collins - rain all the way. It's a mind settling trip and folks down there are considerate and anonymous. We aimlessly drove to a nice restaurant for breakfast and then picked up Pyrite's ashes in a little heart-shaped container and drove home. Again rain the whole way.

Back home we placed Pyrite in her box next to Penny on the dresser. Dix worked in the garden and I kept busy with mowing the lawn and a trip to the dump, not feeling any better for having been relieved of the daily pet chores. As our psychiatrist friend puts it, without our pets we are incomplete human beings.