Addio, Chiara

And so ends the chapter of my life that was graced by the presence of the perfect feline companion named Chiara.

I am amazed that I could love and be loved so much. Last night, as I was about to go to sleep, I heard Chiara's footsteps approach my room, which was strange because she had barely left the kitchen for the past week. She tried to jump onto my low makeshift night-table to eventually get to my bed but did not have the energy to, so I covered part of my bed with a towel and gently placed her there (in a similar position as the picture above). I pet her and tried to keep her warm, and then eventually moved her bed onto mine so that I could fall asleep with my arms around her. I'm so grateful that she chose to spend her last night with me.

Today was one of the hardest days of my life. 3:00pm (such an ominous time) seemed to take forever to come, but when it did it seemed all too sudden. I could tell that she was very weak; she hadn't eaten anything for three days.

Giagi drove us to the vet with Chiara in her carry bag on my lap, and as soon as I stepped out of the car I knew I wouldn't be able to hide how I was feeling. Luckily, one of my favourite veterinary assistants was working today, and she ushered us straight into the examination room, giving us as much time as we needed both before Chiara was sedated and after she was euthanized. It was incredibly difficult to say goodbye, but within seconds of her final injection she was gone. Giagi and I stayed there for another half an hour reminiscing about our dear kitty and petting her while we still could. She was at peace and did not need to suffer any longer. I felt consoled by this but I still couldn't accept her absence.

We took her collar and just as we were about to leave, the girls asked if we wanted to keep some of her fur as a keepsake. In the meantime, one of them told us what good owners we were and that Chiara was a sweet cat that would be missed by them all.

Returning home was surreal and we immediately started to clean up her things. After that, I took a nap and when I woke up, it felt almost as if she was never even here. But she will forever be the one who taught me the meaning of responsibility and unconditional love.

Ti voglio bene e mi manchi già, cara Chiara. Riposi in pace.

This photo was taken by my mom on February 7, 2011 -- the day I left for Italy