It was not unexpected - he was elderly and had suffered from a chronic illness for an extended period of time. I had closely followed his decent from good health to ill health and when the time came for decision making I met with my family to discuss what action, if any, we should take to relieve him of the suffering he was experiencing - suffering that was witnessed by members of the family.

It was decided that the time had come to say a final goodbye which included words of appreciation for his valued friendship and his ability to create a special kind of companionship between a member of the animal kingdom and a caring human being. It takes a willing effort on the part of both for such a companionship to be established and enjoyed.

Tom was his name - a rather common name for an uncommon cat. His short hair coat was a combination of an area of solid white and another distinct area of solid dark gray, both as soft as velvet. He was a friend who seemed to prefer my company to that of another cat - a distinguishing attribute that led me to always call him Mr. Tom.

So, when the time came for us to say our final good by, it was a very sad and grief filled moment. I gently picked him up and cradled him in my arms as we traveled from my home to Fitzgerald Animal Hospital where Mr. Tom had in times past been a patient.

We were greeted at the receiving desk by three young ladies, one of whom was designated to receive information regarding the reason for the visit. With an unmistakable tremor in my voice I described Mr. Tom's loss of weight due to his refusal to eat food and drink water. While continuing to give information, Mr. Tom let out a mournful sound that could only have come from the source of his intense suffering. It was then that I said in a voice that was barely audible, "What I would like the doctor to do is to put him to sleep."

The sympathetic attendant nodded her head, indicating that she understood the reason for my sadness; the reason for my anguish; the reason for my deep sense of loss in the passing of a dear friend. It was a moment in time when I needed the assurance that during the procedure of putting Mr. Tom to sleep, his body would be treated with dignity and his passing would be painless and forever relieve him of the pain and suffering he had endured during his final days. That was the assurance I needed and that was the assurance I received.

So, with a hidden tear in my eye, I traveled in silence to my home where I could openly express my sense of loss by recalling all of the joyful memories that Mr. Tom and I had shared over the past fifteen years. Now, facing another time of decision making- I could either cling to the false hope offered by a display of sadness, or I could choose to honor Mr. Tom by reliving the many good times we had shared together. I chose to do the latter.

It was the correct choice and I soon discovered that remembering the good times had the therapeutic value of counteracting the power of the sad times. The sad times came when I could hear the mournful vocal sound resulting from the pain Mr. Tom was experiencing; the good times came when I could hear his gentle purring indicating moments of pleasure. So I quickly estimated the time Mr. Tom had spent in moments of suffering and compared that with the time he had spent in purring. Without question purring won the contest which enabled me to put sadness in its proper place - an understandable emotional experience which had its moment and was then put to rest.

Coming to help me successfully turn this corner of life was an unexpected source of help. A few days after Mr. Tom's passing, I received an envelope in the mail that was the size and shape of an ordinary greeting card. Being visually impaired, I could not read the small print of the return address. However, when I looked at the stamp on the envelope I was assured that it was from someone who was cat friendly - the stamp had a picture of a cat on it.

This elevated my interest and I eagerly opened the envelope and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was a sympathy card from the medical staff of Fitzgerald Animal Hospital. With a colorful picture of cats and dogs on the front of the card, it was captioned with these meaningful words, "In loving memory of your precious friend."

On the inside of the card is the story of "The Rainbow Bridge." It reads: "Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

"There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

"All of the animals who have been ill or old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole again just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

"The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing, they each miss someone very special to them who had to be left behind.

"They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to turn from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.

"The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once again into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long from your life, but never absent from your heart. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together."

The many cat friendly people who read the compelling words of the Rainbow Bridge will enjoy a sense of delight and will be inclined to read it again and again. However, people who are inclined to consider cats as only a nuisance are likely to consider the Rainbow Bridge as something childish and naive. Both views have their active advocates who can be quite persuasive in presenting their view.

It has been my observation that cats are quick to react to the way they are treated by humans. A cat hating human can turn a kitten into a human hating cat who is capable of being more than a nuisance - it can do bodily harm if cornered in a defensive mode.

When Mr. Tom came to live with me, I made an attempt to understand his needs and to respect his feelings, all of which established a meaningful bond between us - enabling me to say from deep within my heart, "Thank God for Mr. Tom."