{"id":8086,"date":"2014-03-12T14:31:03","date_gmt":"2014-03-12T18:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/?p=8086"},"modified":"2014-03-12T14:31:03","modified_gmt":"2014-03-12T18:31:03","slug":"the-mortality-of-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/2014\/03\/the-mortality-of-cats.html","title":{"rendered":"the mortality of cats"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Kali<\/a>At her best, my 14-year-old cat Kali is doing great. She can still jump (most of the time) onto my desk to eat the snack I fixed (NOT for her). She usually maneuvers the leap from the coffee table to the arm of my chair, and she can stay a couple of steps ahead of the dogs.<\/p>\n

But it’s the beginning of the end, and I have no idea how to negotiate that map.<\/p>\n

We’re the people who always wait too long to let go of their animals. A cat who was bleeding internally (who knew??); a dog who finally died on the way to be put to sleep, in my husband’s arms. Another dog who was probably in pain, but a total stoic. And another cat who fought against the car ride to her end.<\/p>\n

Each time, we swear we will go earlier into that good night, making the decision for these beloved members of our family. But how do<\/em> you know when it’s time? \"Kali<\/a><\/p>\n

Because the times she’s not doing well, Kali seems ready. When does the balance tip to darkness and letting go, from taking care of?<\/p>\n

These are the kinds of questions I’m no good at. Kali can’t tell me, although when she yowls (she’s part Siamese, as you can see) for no reason, I wonder if she hurts. I know she has arthritis from the bite she sustained before we rescued her (at 5-ish weeks) from a country bar ditch. On a damp day, when my own joints ache in sympathy, I watch her favouring that leg.<\/p>\n

And I wonder: how do you know, oh Buddha of letting go, when it’s time?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At her best, my 14-year-old cat Kali is doing great. She can still jump (most of the time) onto my desk to eat the snack I fixed (NOT for her). She usually maneuvers the leap from the coffee table to the arm of my chair, and she can stay a couple of steps ahead of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":398,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[459,325,328,199,123],"tags":[11,1181,1187,262,1290,1233],"class_list":["post-8086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cats","category-death","category-goodbye","category-letting-go","category-loss","tag-beginners-heart","tag-britton-gildersleeve","tag-buddhism","tag-buddhist-blogs","tag-cats","tag-letting-go"],"yoast_head":"\nthe mortality of cats - Beginner's Heart<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At her best, my 14-year-old cat Kali is doing great. 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