I just got back from the e. vet and am still in shock. My beautiful Sam, my loving little pussy-foot man, is gone. He was fine today, but when I went to feed them tonight at 11:30 he didn't come out. I did a search for him, and found him wedged in a corner behind the sofabed. He was limp, couldn't stand, and all wet underneath for some reason. I went into a panic, put him in a crate & rushed to the e vet. His body temp was 90 and dropping, glucose was dangerously low, and he was in respiratory distress. The vet said he was going to die, probably within an hour, and even if I chose to treat him, chances were good he could die anyway, because we didn't know what was going on. I was afraid that, since he was getting older, it would be something horrible, and I would just be prolonging his misery. So I had him euthanized. He was 13 years old.
He was the best cat - so friendly, and loving - more like a dog than a cat. He slept with me every night, right next to (or on) my pillow, and would knead and purr before he went to sleep. If I sat in a chair, he was in my lap. If I was on the computer, he was sitting right on the desk (or walking on the keyboard). He followed me from room to room, and always wanted to be near me. I had him since he was 4 years old: he had 2 teeth, no tail, a gimpy back leg, and megacolon, but the sweetest personality ever. I adopted him & his "brother", Max, when the family who had them since kittenhood suddenly became "allergic". Sam had been attacked by a dog when he was a kitten - a ligament in his leg was ruptured, he had pelvic injuries (resulting in the megacolon) and his tail was mauled and had to be amputated. But even with all that, he loved the dogs, and would always head-butt against them, or lie near them.
I can't believe I'm sitting here typing this. I'm still in a daze, and it feels so surreal. I feel like tomorrow I'll wake up and there he'll be, on my pillow, as always.
Sam, my little pussy-man, my little Sam-I-Am!! I love you - there's a giant hole in my heart now. I'll miss you, my baby.