Saying goodbye to the Best. Kitty. Ever.

Tink was 10 when I adopted her from ARPO.

Everyone has that one special pet. The one where you look in its eyes and you exchange souls, bound forever by that inexplicable something that ties you together.

That’s what I had with Tinker, my sweet gray and white kitty who succumbed to kidney disease on Jan. 13. I had her almost four years, and losing her has shattered my heart. I’m sure you know the feeling.

In 2021, I adopted Tinkerbell/Tinker/Tink from the Alliance for Responsible Pet Ownership (ARPO) in Indianapolis. I was looking for an older cat because — ahem — I was getting older myself and thought it would be good to rescue a senior. From the day she came into my apartment, snooped around and jumped into my lap, I was smitten. Tink was 10 years old but looked and acted much younger. She had silky fur. She was sweet and loving, and liked to be in the same room with me a lot of the time.

Not long after I got her, she developed an intestinal disorder and had to be put on Miralax and special gastro care food. That meant I had to keep track of when and how often she pooped. Maybe not everyone has a spiral notebook for monitoring cat poo, but I do. I also wrote down when she took certain medications for whatever issue popped up.

When she turned 11, an X-ray showed that she had a mass in one lobe of her

lungs. I had only had her for a year and thought this was the end of my precious Tinker. But it wasn’t. A wonderful doctor at MedVet removed the entire lobe and sent her home in a cute little onesie to keep her from licking the incision. In a few weeks, she was fine. My resilient kitty was back.

In 2024, Tink developed kidney disease and a few stones were discovered on an X-ray. One seemed to be blocking her ureter. More new food with a probiotic was added. And whaddaya know, in a couple of months she passed the stone! She didn’t like it being there and neither did I.

It’s been quite a medical journey for me and Tink, but Dr. Karen Roach at Noah’s Caring Hands Animal Hospital has brought her through each challenge.

At the start of this year, Tink ended up at Noah’s Emergency Hospital twice, once for an inflamed bladder, and again for kidney disease. Her blood test showed her kidney levels were extremely high. They used the words “end stage,” and I knew what that meant. She wasn’t going to get better this time. So I took my sweet Tink home for a few days of cuddles, and on Jan. 13 Dr. Roach helped her peacefully cross the rainbow bridge on her favorite blanket.

I can’t say enough good things about Noah’s Caring Hands. On what was a traumatic day for me, the staff was so compassionate and understanding. Ruthanne McMullen, a veterinary assistant, spent a lot of time with me, reassuring me that I was doing the right thing and sympathizing about what a hard decision it is to euthanize a pet. And Dr. Roach was gentle and reassuring, letting me be part of the process as I held Tink’s head and said goodbye.

I took my sweet girl directly to Rose Pet Memorial Service, a wonderful family-owned business where Jane and John Rose, along with Colleen Moore, treat your pets like their own. They do the cremation and offer many choices on how to memorialize your pet. Read more about them here: https://www.petpalstv.com/post/rose-pet-memorial-service-eases-the-pain-of-goodbye

"Please admire my feets," Tink told her Facebook fans.

Tink also was popular with my Facebook friends and had quite a following. When she’d lie on her side, she would braid all four of her white paws together and invite everyone to admire her “feets.” I’m sure those photos will be resurrected now and then.

Making the decision to euthanize a pet is one of the worst ones you will ever have to make. You will second-guess yourself over and over. “Did I do the right thing? Did I do the right thing?”

Yes, because you did it out of love and knowing that your pet is no longer in pain.

Today my special Tinker is running with Spike and Lacey and Mozie and all my other kitty angels. She is gone, yet I can still feel her spirit around me. She’s still in my lap, sleeping next to me and giving me that look that says “I am yours forever.”

Best. Kitty. Ever.

Rita Rose is executive assistant for Pet Pals TV and Great Day TV with Patty Spitler. She is the co-author of Patty's book, "The Dog Who Saved My Life."