Willie Nelson was born on my birthday 11 years ago and from the moment that I saw him, I knew we were meant for each other. The only problem was that someone else had “dubs” on him and I had to choose another kitten in the litter. I reluctantly reserved one of his brothers. The week they were able to leave their mother, I received the call telling me that the other person had backed out, and the little yellow and white fellow with rabbit soft fur was mine, if I still wanted him. Did I ever!! The first couple of months that he was home, he would curl up on my shoulder, suck my earlobe, and purr at top volume. I remember occasionally having to move him off when I was trying to hear Bob Costas describe the action during the Olympic Games. From the moment I brought him home, we began our adventure with his physical “challenges” and my deep appreciation for compassionate veterinary care. It started with a bad reaction to anesthesia during his neutering, and progressed to irritable bowel syndrome, hyperthyroidism (we nuked his thyroid), then hypothyroidism, mega colon, and diabetes. Each time he had a crisis, I would fear that this was “it”. If he had been a Dodge Dart we would have called him a lemon. I probably could have sent a child to a semester at Harvard with the money I spent on surgeries, vet bills, medications, procedures, special foods, syringes, insulin, etc. But he was worth every penny spent for the unconditional love he had for me. Looking back, I would do it all over again in a flash to be able to spend more time with Will. He met me at the door each time I came home, and followed me around, just waiting for me to land so he could occupy my lap. Of course I could not work on any sewing project without him holding down the fabric as I cut or stitched. In Sept. he became ill and needed surgery for kidney stones. I truly felt that this would be yet another bump in the road and that we would have more time together. But his poor little body had just had enough and he was not able to recover from the surgery. We put Willie Nelson to rest on Sept. 28. It has been so lonely these past couple of months, it’s hard to describe. I told my husband that I didn’t realize how much I used to talk to Willie. He said, talk, heck, I kissed Will more than I kissed him. The bright spot is that the 15 year old Sammy cat appears to be lonely too, so he is now spending much more time with mom. Christmas will be very different this year. I will be able to put up a Christmas tree and not have to guard it with a squirt gun. Will had this insatiable urge to eat fibrous stuff like wheat art, flowers, my dried wedding bouquet, and his favorite: the artificial Christmas tree. He would then promptly urp them all up. Our tree will be glorious this year in memory of Willie Nelson.

I am grateful to be able to share Willie Nelson with you. I am also so thankful to have had the support and care from two of Spokane’s finest vets. Dr. Christine Alstead was our vet for 10 of those years, and Will and I could not have made it without her support and care. I have always appreciated a vet who would take the time to describe what was happening with my cats to help me understand what needed to be done. She also took the time to laugh with me and let me cry on her shoulder. Will’s “girlfriends”, in Dr. Chris’s office were always so loving and happy to see us. . The last year of his life, Dr. Julia Leese (WSU Grad.) was caring for Will. I will always remember the time that she and Caryn spent with Will that last weekend, and how compassionate they were with him and me in his last hours.

Keep up the good work of producing magnificent veterinarians to continue to care for all of our precious animals!

Lolita S.