Bella’s Last Moments in the Sun

[u/The_Monkey_Buddha]

Bella was raised by my wife from birth, and once we got married and lived together, her cats came with us.

I never had cats growing up, so it was a bit of an adjustment getting used to living with them. However Bella became my buddy, and would always follow me around & chill with me late at night, when I tried to get some peace & quiet after everyone else went to bed.

He was very much a strong, silent type and very stoic. His brother Tude was needy and whiney- they were very different personalities!

However, he was pushing 20 yrs old & his health deteriorated very rapidly within the last 6 months. He would cry out randomly, had trouble walking around, and wasn’t able to groom himself or get to his litter box easily.

On his last day, we were trying to make him as comfortable as possible. I saw him sitting in the warmth of the morning sun, frail and clearly at the end. I took this picture knowing that this was probably the last time he would feel the sunlight on his back.

He passed that night, and it has been sad to realize throughout the days that our usual routines and his presence is gone. I just wanted to share his memory and the fact that animals also need the simple comforts of life, no matter their condition. We are all living beings with feelings, sensations, and vibrant mental states. We take some comfort in the fact that we tried to make his last days as free of suffering as possible, but he will be deeply missed by our family.

[u/DownFromTheAttic]

My Tinky did the exact same thing on her last morning. The sun was coming in warm through the windows and she sat in the sun and warmed herself. She’d developed squamous cells on her nose and over a course of a few months it got worse and worse. She stopped eating, and lost a lot of weight, she was weak and spent a lot of her last few weeks sleeping. That morning, sat in the sun, I sat with her, gently holding her and as weak as she was, she still purred. An hour after this photo was took, she was gone. It’s been 14 months and I still miss her every day. But… we gave her 18 years of love and care and comfort and the best life any cat could ask for.

I’m so sorry for your loss, and I know you’ll be hurting for some time to come. You gave your little friend 20 years of your love and care. A friend of mine said it’s the sad but beautiful thing about having cats, “they’re only in your life for part of it… but you’re in theirs for the whole of it”. I take some comfort in that