This is a really hard blog post to write, my beloved cat Misty has crossed the Rainbow Bridge after 17 wonderful years.

She has been with us since she was a kitten and her and I have always had a special bond, we always made time for each other and our cuddles were amazing.

She has always been a troublesome little minx, she got this reputation by being very bold about stealing food from you, especially Tuna.

When she was six months old she managed to steal my entire fish off my plate without me seeing her do it, and I couldn’t have a tuna Mayo sand which witch out sharing it with her. Megan had the joy of having Misty stick her paw in her mouth to take out chicken she had just put in there!

We all love her very deeply, she always was a sprightly active cat, to the point where when she was younger she would never keep weight on as she was far too active, meaning the vets were reluctant to spay her until she had her third litter due to her weight.

She was an awesome mother to her daughter Jenny, they often would curl up together in Lindsay’s bed, I am sure Jenny will be lost without her.

She used to love to jump on the table and interrupt our board games, and when we were in bed she would love to crawl under the covers with us to get hugs from both of us and purr her head off.

Sadly a few months ago, she developed an eye infection, we later discovered that this was because her immune system was fighting a cancerous growth under her tongue.

This made her drool a lot which was getting all matted up in her fur, so Megan and her mum made her some wonderful neckerchiefs of absorbent material for her.

She had made improvements when prescribed a painkiller and was eating properly again, although she could only manage pates.

The past couple of days she hasn’t been able to manage even that, we have fed her tuna mayo, which she struggled on to eat, but last night she couldn’t even manage that.

She wants to eat, she is hungry and wants to eat, but she was no longer capable of doing so.

My options were to feed her baby food. by syringe, which she hates, just keep trying to make her eat and she gradually starves to death, or put her to sleep.

I hate myself for having to make that decision, but it’s the right one for her, I don’t want to see her suffer to the point where she gives up.

So I called the PDSA as she is registered with them and we took her along. She had an appointment at 2:50 and they were very caring and wonderful with her.

They examined her and agreed that now was the right time, she was so wonderful and gentle with the vets, and they shed a little tear as well, it makes me realise all too well why suicide rates amongst vets are so high.

She went very peacefully being comforted by the nurse, I wasn’t allowed to be in the room with her, but I could see her through the window.

I hate myself for this, she still felt so alive, but I know if I had selfishly tried to keep her around it would have been awful for her.

The worst part of this, is that Megan, who utterly adores and loves Misty, is away so she doesn’t get to say goodbye, I know when we lost Sweep last year and I was away for the weekend, that Megan must really be hurting over this.

I am going to miss her cuddles, the sharing of tuna mayo stotties, her getting up to mischief.

She was always very special to us, and had dozens of songs sung about her antics by Lindsay and Megan.

I know we did the right thing, it hurts like crazy and I have a hole in my heart that will be impossible to fill.

Tonight I intend to eat Chinese omelette and ice cream, diabetes be damned, eat something nice for tea and watch Star Trek IV, because she always wanted to go time travelling.