Dr. Ashley and you nurse gals, Thanks for the care you've shown April Showers and her brother, she and Honey Boy have been the greatest part of my life. When everyone else wanted to put her to sleep some years back you kept her alive and well. Friday, January 11, 2019 I caught a skunk in a live trap and released it in a wildlife preserve north of town... instead of going into the preserve it turned around, climbed into my van, eventually, with "coaxing" it jumped out and scurried away... with all the windows rolled down I drove home. Had some repair work to do on a home down the block, April Showers followed me the whole 100 yards, by the time she got to where I was working the job was pretty much done, we turned around and slowly walked back home. I really felt good- April was getting exercise like she hadn't done in years, even following me from room to room indoors and vacant lot to vacant lot in the park... but then a second thought made me wonder if she was trying to tell me something... she's lost so much weight the past 2 - 3 years, though her appetite's been good I've been fearful recently a circling hawk might grab her, and she'd been showing recent signs of frustration due to waning strength shown in failed jumps and an occasional misstep along the path, a table's edge and the front edge of the kitchen sink on the way to the top of her favorite room in the house- the refrigerator. She climbed to her nap on the fridge after a small lunch and I went outside, trying to deodorize my van of skunk. When I went back in the house a very fat sparrow flew over my shoulder, perching on top of the refrigerator, not knowing it was inches from a slumbering cat... April turned to look, the alarmed sparrow flew off, and with a flying leap April sprang for the bird... but fell short and landed on the floor. She looked and acted ok then and for the next couple days but then began spontaneously meowing a bit more often than usual... I scrambled to cat care websites, I rubbed honey on her gums, she could still make her way to the top of the fridge and still hop up to nap on my lap until Monday night, she went to the litter box and was too tired or too much in pain to get out. I carried her to the bedroom, it was 10:30 PM, set her on the floor, as I undressed for bed she crawled and hopped into bed, she cried or moaned a couple times that night, even walking on my stomach and chest to my face as she sometimes would do through the years, I'd rub her head and ears and gums, then she'd turn and go back to a spot beside me. Early Tuesday morning, each time I looked at her I thought she was dead but a closer look saw she was breathing. She cried or moaned a couple more times before sunrise and lay still with slight breathing. About a mile from your office I stopped for a red light, she started moving, maybe she only needs a shot of B12, adrenaline, or something... one leg kicked out like she was stretching, her mouth opened like a yawn, I had to look away and drive for the light turned green but the next time I looked at her she was gone. I'm sorry I waited until it was too late, the symptoms were there, too reluctant, too stupid, too slow to admit it and do a better job trying to saving her life. Read Less