Tuesday, July 3, was a sad day for the Heiss family. Dukie had been ill for a while, and when the vet determined that she probably had a bone tumor, we decided it would be best to have her euthanized.
Fourteen years ago, our wonderful friends (the Kramers) kindly and unexpectedly left a kitten for us one evening while we were not at home. We came in the house and listened to a phone message telling us they had left a kitten in one of our window wells. When we looked outside, however, there was no kitten in the window well. Instead she was hiding nearby. With four anxious children begging, "Can we keep it?", we just couldn't resist. She has been a treasured part of our family ever since.
Taking Dukie to the vet to be with her at the end was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Katharine, Sarah, and Emily were there, too, and we were quite the sight. I know it was absolutely the right thing to do, but it broke my heart.
We'll miss her, but we'll hold on to all the precious memories of a silly, spoiled, wonderful cat.
