My dear Sonny

Today's a really hard day for Team Adams.  Today we have to put our sweet cat Sonny down to rest.  For those that may know Sonny sweet may not be the first adjective that crosses your mind, but it is to us.  He's been our furry rascal since February of 2003 when this bright orange barn cat sauntered into our lives.  He was my Christmas present from Nathan at our new house in Btown.  Nathan wrapped up a cat box, litter, bowls, and a bell collar.  All that was missing was the cat.  He was born in January and we brought him home in February

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He loved roaming our house and knocking over Kaptain's (our old parakeet) cage.  He slept between Nathan and my's head on our pillows purring loudly everynight.  He loved to play fetch with Starburst wrappers or his cat nip mouse.  He's always acted more like a dog than a cat.

When we moved to our current house, he gained a canine brother.  Jester and Sonny have been inseparable ever since Jester came home.  We were worried Jester would pester Sonny.  We should have worried more about Sonny pestering Jester.  Sonny teased Jester constantly.  The two would play chase around and around the dining room table, up and down the halls, and across our bed.  The two would cuddle when they thought no one was looking.  Jester laying in the sun with Sonny coming up to him, nuzzling noses, and rubbing his head all over Jester's face.  Jester loved to lick Sonny and make all his fur stick up in a spit covered mess.

Sonny always knew when I was pregnant.  He usually didn't have much to do with me after he grew out of his kitten phase.  Whenever I was expecting though, he'd always sleep at my feet or on my legs.  He knew before I knew that I was pregnant.  He always would come check on me in the night if I had a bad dream, jumping on the night stand and poking me in the face with his nose.

Once the kids arrived, he was so patient with both of them.  He'd let Sidney pet all over him as she squealed with delight when she was a baby.  And as she got older, he'd let her cover him with blankets and give him a Nay-Nay to sleep with.  Evan loves seeing Sonny and Sonny's kissed Evan's nose more than once.

Nathan and Sonny have the closest bond.  Every morning while Nathan gets ready for work, Sonny sits outside the shower purring and waiting to be loved on.  Nathan always scruffles him behind his ears in a way that only he can do.  Sonny loves to sit by the sink and drink out of it while Nathan fixes his hair.
Whenever you opened a cheesestick or had steak for dinner, Sonny would beg like a dog for a piece and would hold his own if Jester tried to take his share.  He loved to lie on his back all stretched out as far as his 20lb body would stretch.  He always had a smile on his face when he found that perfect spot to lay on in the floor or the couch or my pillow....

He was first to hiss at anyone who wasn't a part of Team Adams who came into the house.  Woe to the Serfco guy, UPS man, or repair man who came into his territory.  Woe especially to Ryan Hill who always really wanted Sonny to love him, but Sonny couldn't stand him.  Lots of growls, biting, and hissing tried to deter Ryan's attention.  Woe to any water glass you left standing out because he would spill it with quickness and grace and a look of "Did I dooo thattt??" Woe to Jester's dog bed or our bath mats because he decided to always mark them to the point we haven't had bath mats or a dog bed for years.

I'm really going to miss him.  I love him so much.  I feel so guilty for telling the vet he could have a Cortizone shot to stop the itching from his bladder surgery.  It didn't matter that his hair didn't grow back and that he licked it constantly.  I should of said no.  The shot gave him diabetes even though he wasn't pre-diabetic at the time. He was perfectly healthy besides being a bit overweight.  Now he's so sick he can hardly walk.  He has lost a ton of weight for an animal that size.  He won't stand up to eat out of his bowl.  He hides under the bed or the closet all day.  His body is breaking down like any untreated diabetic's body.  His feet don't work correctly.  He can't clean himself.  He loses his balance when jumping.  He's just not our Sonny anymore and it breaks my heart to see him this way.  It's not anyway for an animal to live.  He won't let anyone give him insulin and it's too stressful on him for anyone to try.  This decision has been heavy on my heart and Nathan's.  It's going to be really hard to explain to Sidney.  It's just the only option we have left.
I hope he knows how much we love him and how special he's been to our family.  I hope God has a special place for him to chill and watch over us.  Lord knows he won't want to be bothered unless it's on his own terms.  I'm sorry sweet cat.  I love you, Sonny.