Thank you all for your kind words and understanding. I don't think people who have never had a special bond with an animal (like you folks have) can really understand how terrible the loss is. I have never had a truer friend than Arthur, and probably never will.
When Arthur was healthy he would wake me up in the morning with a loud purring in my ear, and half-asleep I would throw my arm around him and nuzzle his neck and smell his sweet fur smell, which made him pur even louder.
Arthur's favorite game was playing hide and seek with me around the house. I would pretend like I didn't see where he was hiding, and then when I walked by he would jump out at me and I would chase him. Then I would go hide and it would be his turn to find me, and if he couldn't find me after a few minutes he would let out a howl for me to come out of hiding already! He loved that game and we played it every day.
Arthur also used to like to play fetch with me. He would crouch down in hunting mode in anticipation, I would throw his toy mouse down the hall and he would run after it and bring it back to me to throw again. He had such a proud look when he was bringing his mouse back to me, he would practically be prancing down the hall.
Arthur was the smartest, most kind, gentle, loving, affectionate, proud and noble cat. He was cat royalty. I miss him so much I can't stand it. I feel guilty for the times I yelled at him, and I wish I had never yelled at him ever in his whole life. I feel like I failed him because I couldn't make him well again. He had FUS and spent several nights at the vet on a couple of occasions, but when I brought him home he didn't get better, he kept getting worse.
He spent his last days at home with me and my wife giving him all our love and attention. We put him in his favorite spots and tried to make him comfortable. We kept telling him how much we loved him. After several days of him not eating or drinking and just getting weaker and weaker we decided it was time to put him to rest. He died in our company with us stroking his head and telling him how much we loved him and that he was a good boy. It is the saddest thing I have ever been through, and I have been through much.
I miss him more than my meager words can ever convey.
