Baxter

Late Summer 1995 - April 22, 2015

Baxter was born to a feral mom and dad cat in Charlottesville, VA.  Eric's cousin had been feeding the family and when Baxter decided that he wanted to come inside, she obliged.  But she couldn't keep him as a house cat.  She offered him to us and we eagerly accepted.  For almost twenty years, Baxter was a (mostly) quiet, charming, and sometimes playful constant in our lives.

A week before we had Baxter euthanized, the vet told us that Baxter had a mass in his abdomen that would most likely (and quickly) become a problem.  Then I discovered that he had a mass on his skull that was pressing on his eye.  He had been acting uncomfortable for several days and when I found the lump on his head I knew it couldn't be good.  The vet was so kind and offered to put Baxter on medication to give him some relief from pain and give us some time.  But I just didn't think it made sense to prolong the inevitable.

I'll always remember Baxter as a playful kitten and as a self-elected greeter of guests in our powder room.