Ernie

Please spare a moment and a kind thought for my lovely cat Ernie, who is currently in the vet with kidneys which seem to be shutting down.

This has all come about very suddenly in the past week, starting with him having strained or sprained his leg a bit, and apparently reacting adversely to anti inflammatory medication given to him by the vet.

He's a lot happier now than he was a day or two ago, but he still isn't really eating and one of the blood readings has gone up instead of down, which is a very bad thing as he's on a drip which is supposed to make things better.

I have an appointment with the vet on Monday morning, and if Ernie isn't showing signs of improvement, then a hard decision, the hardest decision of all, has to be considered. I am not looking forward to it and I'm already crying hard as I type this.

People who do not have pets will doubtless wonder why I'm so upset, but those of us, better people I'd say, who do have pets realise they aren't just animals, they are an integral part of the family. They are family members.

Ernie and Elmo came with me after my separation and divorce, and since living on my own again, they have been the family I have come home to every night, and I love them both dearly.

Please, spare a kind thought for Ernie as he needs all the positive vibes he can get right now. And think also of Elmo, who is obviously missing his big brother.