That was it for the year

I have been worried about Joey. He's old, his kidney disease is irreversible, he doesn't have much time left. I'm trying to get my mind around losing him, and the big, overriding thought is that I never want him to hurt. I want to spare Joey pain at all costs.

But what does Joey in pain look like? Would I even know? Is it safe to leave him alone for four days when I go to Key West for Christmas? I needed answers.

So I took today off and bundled Joseph up and took him to the vet. This is what I found out.

•  Yes, he's lost weight, but since he's otherwise healthy and well hydrated, that's not so bad.

•  Yes, he can be alone over Christmas. Being without his meds for four days likely won't make a difference. After all, the main purpose of the meds is to help preserve his sight, and since he's an indoor cat, being blind isn't really even that big a deal.

•  No, there's no reason for him to come back until 2016. Yes, he's old and frail and has irreversible kidney disease. But "nothing is imminent."

Both the vet and the office staff were very pointed about wishing me a Merry Christmas AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, and "See you and Joe next year!" They wanted me to feel more confident about my old tomcat being around to welcome 2016.

They succeeded.