Sandy

Sandy has passed away today after a few days of heavy sleep.

She'd been slowing down the past few months, but Wednesday I noticed
that her eyes were stuck shut and she seemed wobbly on her legs. I
got her eyes unstuck but they restuck overnight and I couldn't free
the lids again. No matter to Sandy; she preferred to sleep mostly,
and stopped drinking yesterday. No pain seemed imminent so I watched
the slow rise and fall of her fur as she breathed sporadically,
occasionally shifting her weight and hiding in one dark corner of the
cage.

This afternoon I found that the fur had stopped moving, and she'd
plastered her face against the glass as if for support.

It seems she died peacefully enough, and for that, I'm thankful. But
just as I miss Gracie's obstinate little streak of independence, so,
too, will I miss Sandy's. I can so easily picture her when she was
still so active, digging under the door, pulling up carpet-fibers,
and hanging on impetuously as I tried to pull her fat, wriggling
little body away to scold her.

She has at last found her way under a door. May she find new places
to explore and lots of carpets to shred.

~nv