Mellow was not a Bouvier. He was not a dog. He was a cat and a friend and buddy.

Sharon and I moved from Pomona, CA to Pasadena, CA in 1985. Shortly after moving, a small male kitten showed up on our doorstep. Unbeknownst to Sharon, I gave him food and water. When Sharon found out I was feeding him, she stated "If you feed him, he will be ours." Of course by that time, he was ours and he entered our family of several cats and a dog.

The kitten was given the name Mellow because he was a laid back and very sweet lap cat. I will remember him lying on my chest and nuzzling my beard.

Mellow passed on to the Rainbow Bridge on November 6, 2000 after a devastating illness. He had lost so much weight and would not eat or drink water. We tried force feeding him, but he continued to grow weaker and at the end, could not even stand. Sharon and I made the decision to let him go. Shortly before 3:00 pm, I held him while the vet gave him his final shot. In less than a minute, he was gone. There is the miracle of life and there also is the miracle of death.

Putting a beloved pet down is one thing in life that doesn't get any easier the more times you do it. And as I get older, it gets more difficult to deal with. Intellectually, I know we did the right thing. And I truly believe Mellow knew that. The heart always wonders though. But self doubt makes the difference between one who "has" a pet and one who "owns" a pet.

Goodbye Mellow. I miss you terribly.