katie is gone.
A few weeks ago we noticed that Katie was eating a lot less. I've written and erased about five paragraphs describing everything that happened between then and this Tuesday but I can't do it justice. The bottom line is that she had lymphoma. The cancer was in her intestines, her liver, her spleen. It resisted chemotherapy and spread through her lymphatic system very, very quickly. By Tuesday we had exhausted all of our options and it was clear that she had lost the fight.
Bradee and I stayed with Miss Katie while the vet sedated her and put her to sleep, and she went peacefully, sleeping on her side like she loved to do.
After Katie is cremated, her ashes will be spread in an apple orchard. That's perfect.
In college, my girlfriend showed up on my doorstep one day and dropped a tiny kitten into my arms. The kitten had a bump on her nose, she chased beer bottlecaps around the floor, and she slept on my shoulder every night. And she lived with me for 11 years and I miss her already and my eyes hurt from crying.