Goodbye, Sweet Lando

... And the tears fall....

Here we go....

5 minutes ago I was jamming to some Natasha Bedingfield and thoroughly enjoying my first post- Mother's Day celebration, trying to shake the sense of loss we faced this weekend... and then I suddenly felt the overwhelming sense of pain of missing sweet Lando... my eyes filled up and I couldn't keep from crying uncontrollably.

On Saturday Lando left this world and is off chasing mice in Heaven.

Last week our sweet Lando had quickly developed kidney and liver failure and was suffering.  It was the most heart-breaking thing to witness as our gentle giant lost all will to move, to eat, to drink or be pet...

You're not supposed to have a favorite cat, but sweet Lando was Lloyd's favorite.  It was Lloyd that sat with me as we received our cat's prognosis from the Dr.   Lloyd watched as I cried and sat petting Lando for the last time, trying to comfort him in the moments before the vet-tech came in to ease his suffering.  We 3 sat together trying to make sense of what was happening.

It has been devastating for Lloyd and I.  The only thing worse than grieving yourself is watching those you love most grieve.

It was Lloyd who brought Lando home and buried him in our back garden.

It is odd, comforting, embarrassing, sweet and a host of other 'things' how much an animal becomes an integral part of your family.  None of my pets are the same and each has their own distinct personality and way of showing us how much they love us. 

Lando was our cat that loved 'textures'.  He would rub his face against shoes, purses, concrete, boxes and anything else that was close-by.

Lando was our cat that never scratched or bit, no matter how frightened or angry he became.

Lando was our cat that loved to pull himself along the bottom of the couch.

Lando was the cat that loved to sleep under the bed.

Lando was the cat that we loved so much.