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Description
                                           Saying Goodbye
     Anita sat in the cold plastic chair in the vets office, waiting for the vet to come out and take a look at her cat, Murphy. Murphy meowed from her arms.
     “I know you don’t like it here boy, but we have to find out what’s wrong with you.” She told him gently, ignoring the stares from the other pet owners waiting to see the vet. A little Chihuahua with a leg cast yipped from across the room and Murphy stiffened and tried to hiss, but all that came out was a dry hacking cough. Anita stroked him soothingly.
     “Easy boy” she said “Don’t get all riled up. You’ll make yourself worse.” The old cat settled down, still coughing slightly. That cough again...he’d  had it for a month now, and it wasn’t going away. Anita had gotten worried this morning when it seemed worse, so despite her mothers claims of it being old age, Anita had taken Murphy to her favorite vet.
     “Murphy Sanchez?” called the vet. That was the reason Anita liked this vet. She always called the pets in with the owners last name, like they were real people, not just animals. Anita stood and carried her beloved cat into the exam room. The vet smiled kindly as Anita entered the room.
     “Good morning Miss Sanchez. I’m Dr. Hartman” She said, shaking Anitas’ hand. “So, what seems to be the problem with young master Sanchez here?”
     “Forgive me doctor, but he’s not exactly ‘young’. He’s nearly 17 years old. He’s had this cough for nearly a month now, and he’s losing his appetite. I tried to give him his favorite wet cat food today, but he didn’t even give it a sniff.” Dr. Hartman had Anita put Murphy on the examination table. He gave a small cough as she did so. The vet felt his sides gently, looked in his mouth, ears, and took his temperature. She was very kind, and gentle, even when Murphy tried to bite as she took his temperature. It was a little high.
     “Can you have him lie down on his side please? I want to listen to his heart and breathing.” She said calmly. Anita did as she was told, and Dr Hartman put the stethoscope to the old cats’ chest. She listened intently for a moment, then her face fell. The removed the stethoscope and looked at Anita.
     “Miss Sanchez, has he had any other problems?” she asked, her whole demeanor changing to someone very business-like. Anita shook her head.
     “Is Murphy going to be okay doctor?” Dr. Hartman shook her head.
     “I’m afraid the news is bad. His heart is weak and his lungs are crackling. He’s slowly suffocating. There is no treatment, and it will cause him to die in great pain. It would be kinder to put him down” Anita couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Murphy, dying? She looked at the old cat. His green eyes were sparkling in the light.
     “This can’t be right.” Anita said shakily  “He can’t be dying. I...I need him here. He’s my best friend, I can’t put him down.” The vet looked at her with expressionless eyes.
     “I understand how hard this must be for you. But you said yourself, he’s very old. He’s lived a good life. Do you really want him to live his last hours in pain?” She asked. Anita stroked Murphy softly. He began to purr loudly, sitting up and nudging her hand for more.
     “Can I...Can I have a minute alone with him please?” She asked. Dr. Hartman nodded and left. Anita looked into Murphy’s bright green eyes.
     “Murphy.” She began. “You know I love you very much, and I would never let you suffer. We’ve been together so long, I can’t imagine what it would be like never to hear you purr again, to never feel you curled up next to my chest at night. Who am I going to watch tv with on Saturday mornings? Who’s going to come berry picking with me in the summer? Who am I going to talk to without you?” Tears began to flow down her cheeks. She loved him so much! Her life would be empty without him nearby.
     Murphy meowed softly as she hugged him. He felt his mistresses sadness, and rubbed his cheek against hers, trying to cheer her up. She only cried harder.
     “I can’t do it!” she sobbed “I can’t let you die suffering. I’ll let her put you down. Please don’t hate me Murphy, but it’s better this way.” Anita buried her head in her hands when she heard a voice.
     “Mistress...”called a voice, echoing in her head. She snapped up, looking around for the origin of the voice.
     “It’s me mistress, Murphy. I’m talking to you through our mind link.” said the voice. Anita looked at Murphy, who was sitting on the table, staring intently at her.
     “Mind link?” asked Anita. Murphy nodded.
     “We have always had it, but only your love for me at this moment makes it possible for me to speak to you. Mistress, I understand your sadness, but I have lived and protected you for a great many years. Now, my body is tiring. I desire rest my mistress, and to be ‘put down’ as you call it, will let me rest forever.” He said in a wise voice. “We have spent the best years of our lives together. We have shared our triumphs, losses, pain, and happiness. Even when my body is long since gone dear mistress, a part of my spirit will live on in your memory. I have taught you all I can, and you have done the same.”
     “But it’s so hard to let you go...I’ll miss you so much.”
     “And I will miss you too. But I will always be close by. Now, will you let me rest these old bones for good?” Anita nodded. She called the vet back in.
     “I’ve decided.” She told Dr. Hartman. “He’s led a fine life, and now he needs his rest. You can put him down.” Dr. Hartman smiled and put a comforting hand on Anitas’ shoulder.
     “That’s a very brave and mature decision Miss Sanchez. I’m sure he agrees.”
     “You don’t know how right you are doc.” Said Murphy from the table.
A few minutes later Murphy was lying down again, this time with Anita holding his paw, and the vet inserting a needle into a vein.
     “Does it hurt Murphy?” Anita asked via mind link.
     “Only a little.” He replied as the euthanasia began to flow through his body. “Ah. It feels like... something warm...I feel...so...sleep...y...”  And with that, the link was severed as the old cat finally found his eternal rest.
     That afternoon, Anita took Murphys’ body to a small clearing where they had often come to relax, pick berries and fish. She buried him in the shade of an old oak tree, planting some catnip at the head of it as a marker. Looking up into the clouds, she could have sworn she saw Murphys’
smiling face.
     Three days later, her mother took Anita to the local animal shelter to get another cat, despite her protests that she didn’t want another. Those thoughts all changed when she saw a tiny 8 week old kitten in a cage. He looked just like Murphy and Anita immediately adopted him. That night as the kitten, re-named James, settled down to sleep with her, Anita thought of how easy it was to let another enter your heart and say hello, but how much harder it was saying goodbye.

Description
                                           Saying Goodbye
     Anita sat in the cold plastic chair in the vets office, waiting for the vet to come out and take a look at her cat, Murphy. Murphy meowed from her arms.
     “I know you don’t like it here boy, but we have to find out what’s wrong with you.” She told him gently, ignoring the stares from the other pet owners waiting to see the vet. A little Chihuahua with a leg cast yipped from across the room and Murphy stiffened and tried to hiss, but all that came out was a dry hacking cough. Anita stroked him soothingly.
     “Easy boy” she said “Don’t get all riled up. You’ll make yourself worse.” The old cat settled down, still coughing slightly. That cough again...he’d  had it for a month now, and it wasn’t going away. Anita had gotten worried this morning when it seemed worse, so despite her mothers claims of it being old age, Anita had taken Murphy to her favorite vet.
     “Murphy Sanchez?” called the vet. That was the reason Anita liked this vet. She always called the pets in with the owners last name, like they were real people, not just animals. Anita stood and carried her beloved cat into the exam room. The vet smiled kindly as Anita entered the room.
     “Good morning Miss Sanchez. I’m Dr. Hartman” She said, shaking Anitas’ hand. “So, what seems to be the problem with young master Sanchez here?”
     “Forgive me doctor, but he’s not exactly ‘young’. He’s nearly 17 years old. He’s had this cough for nearly a month now, and he’s losing his appetite. I tried to give him his favorite wet cat food today, but he didn’t even give it a sniff.” Dr. Hartman had Anita put Murphy on the examination table. He gave a small cough as she did so. The vet felt his sides gently, looked in his mouth, ears, and took his temperature. She was very kind, and gentle, even when Murphy tried to bite as she took his temperature. It was a little high.
     “Can you have him lie down on his side please? I want to listen to his heart and breathing.” She said calmly. Anita did as she was told, and Dr Hartman put the stethoscope to the old cats’ chest. She listened intently for a moment, then her face fell. The removed the stethoscope and looked at Anita.
     “Miss Sanchez, has he had any other problems?” she asked, her whole demeanor changing to someone very business-like. Anita shook her head.
     “Is Murphy going to be okay doctor?” Dr. Hartman shook her head.
     “I’m afraid the news is bad. His heart is weak and his lungs are crackling. He’s slowly suffocating. There is no treatment, and it will cause him to die in great pain. It would be kinder to put him down” Anita couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Murphy, dying? She looked at the old cat. His green eyes were sparkling in the light.
     “This can’t be right.” Anita said shakily  “He can’t be dying. I...I need him here. He’s my best friend, I can’t put him down.” The vet looked at her with expressionless eyes.
     “I understand how hard this must be for you. But you said yourself, he’s very old. He’s lived a good life. Do you really want him to live his last hours in pain?” She asked. Anita stroked Murphy softly. He began to purr loudly, sitting up and nudging her hand for more.
     “Can I...Can I have a minute alone with him please?” She asked. Dr. Hartman nodded and left. Anita looked into Murphy’s bright green eyes.
     “Murphy.” She began. “You know I love you very much, and I would never let you suffer. We’ve been together so long, I can’t imagine what it would be like never to hear you purr again, to never feel you curled up next to my chest at night. Who am I going to watch tv with on Saturday mornings? Who’s going to come berry picking with me in the summer? Who am I going to talk to without you?” Tears began to flow down her cheeks. She loved him so much! Her life would be empty without him nearby.
     Murphy meowed softly as she hugged him. He felt his mistresses sadness, and rubbed his cheek against hers, trying to cheer her up. She only cried harder.
     “I can’t do it!” she sobbed “I can’t let you die suffering. I’ll let her put you down. Please don’t hate me Murphy, but it’s better this way.” Anita buried her head in her hands when she heard a voice.
     “Mistress...”called a voice, echoing in her head. She snapped up, looking around for the origin of the voice.
     “It’s me mistress, Murphy. I’m talking to you through our mind link.” said the voice. Anita looked at Murphy, who was sitting on the table, staring intently at her.
     “Mind link?” asked Anita. Murphy nodded.
     “We have always had it, but only your love for me at this moment makes it possible for me to speak to you. Mistress, I understand your sadness, but I have lived and protected you for a great many years. Now, my body is tiring. I desire rest my mistress, and to be ‘put down’ as you call it, will let me rest forever.” He said in a wise voice. “We have spent the best years of our lives together. We have shared our triumphs, losses, pain, and happiness. Even when my body is long since gone dear mistress, a part of my spirit will live on in your memory. I have taught you all I can, and you have done the same.”
     “But it’s so hard to let you go...I’ll miss you so much.”
     “And I will miss you too. But I will always be close by. Now, will you let me rest these old bones for good?” Anita nodded. She called the vet back in.
     “I’ve decided.” She told Dr. Hartman. “He’s led a fine life, and now he needs his rest. You can put him down.” Dr. Hartman smiled and put a comforting hand on Anitas’ shoulder.
     “That’s a very brave and mature decision Miss Sanchez. I’m sure he agrees.”
     “You don’t know how right you are doc.” Said Murphy from the table.
A few minutes later Murphy was lying down again, this time with Anita holding his paw, and the vet inserting a needle into a vein.
     “Does it hurt Murphy?” Anita asked via mind link.
     “Only a little.” He replied as the euthanasia began to flow through his body. “Ah. It feels like... something warm...I feel...so...sleep...y...”  And with that, the link was severed as the old cat finally found his eternal rest.
     That afternoon, Anita took Murphys’ body to a small clearing where they had often come to relax, pick berries and fish. She buried him in the shade of an old oak tree, planting some catnip at the head of it as a marker. Looking up into the clouds, she could have sworn she saw Murphys’
smiling face.
     Three days later, her mother took Anita to the local animal shelter to get another cat, despite her protests that she didn’t want another. Those thoughts all changed when she saw a tiny 8 week old kitten in a cage. He looked just like Murphy and Anita immediately adopted him. That night as the kitten, re-named James, settled down to sleep with her, Anita thought of how easy it was to let another enter your heart and say hello, but how much harder it was saying goodbye.