Some Thoughts about Sosha's Last Day

Today my friend Michelle posted on Facebook that she was having to put her 12 year old cat Sosha to sleep. I posted some encouraging thoughts as a reply. She responded that she was having to wait till 4pm to take Sosha in for her final vet visit and it was hard because Sosha was getting worse by the hour. She went on to post "I wish pets could live longer than they do. I always say, NO MORE, then a stray comes along, or an abused pet, and I take them home. I wish I could own a humane society of my own."

For me, these thoughts of Michelle's illustrate how God's gift of compassion works. Michelle could have put her own emotional needs first by making herself absent from Sosha's last day. Michelle could have taken Sosha to animal control or some vet's office and left her there to be euthanized, thus protecting herself from the pain of that final good-bye. Many people go this route because they simply don't have the emotional fortitude to witness the death of their pet. While this saddens me, I understand that not everyone has the gift of compassion that compels them to be nowhere else but with their pet during those final moments.

Obviously I am of this latter sort. I have been with all my little ones when it came time to send them back home to the loving Father who made them; I would have it no other way. The Lord has charged us with taking care of our fellow creatures with whom we share Creation. I feel that we would be remiss to do so for all but their final day. Most people hope to die peacefully in bed, surrounded by their loved ones. Our pets can't express their wishes to us, but I doubt that their wish is to die abandoned and alone in a strange place rather than with those who have loved and cared for them their whole lives.

In once sense Michelle expressed this desire to be emotionally shielded when she talked about bringing home NO MORE pets. But, like me, she will answer compassion's call when that next stray or abused animal comes along looking for a home. And where do these stray and abused animals come from? From someone who declared "no more!" and abused, abandoned or neglected that pet in the first place. For my part, I declare back "no more!" to abandoning pets for our own convenience, to abusing the innocent, to behaving as if the world revolves around us and there are no consequences for our actions. Finally, I declare "no more!" to justifying it all by saying "it's just a cat, who cares?"

Michelle cares, she's at the vet with Sosha as I write this. I care, that's why I'm writing this in the first place. God cares most of all: He's the one who has to watch those He made in His own image treating the rest of His creation like it's disposable: use as needed then throw away when convenient.

Most people probably won't see this story of a friend putting her cat to sleep as I have seen it. But maybe by reading this it's given you pause to think about our culture's--and your own--attitude toward animals. I hope it does; that's what makes me the Christian Cat Guy.