Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...
We've decided that we need to put our cat down this morning. He's so young and he's fighting to stay with us, but, he's stopped purring and he only ate a small amount of freshly cooked salmon by being hand fed despite the fact that he wanted it. It's been so much faster than we were prepared for and we figure he'd probably last another couple of weeks if we were prepared to let him be really sick. But, we didn't want to torture him with hospitalization, surgery and tubes when the prognosis was still terminal, so, we also don't want to torture him by letting him be so sick and so weak that he can't get any joy. At this point he's clearly weak and conserving all of the energy that he can. But, at least he's still remembering the love we share. He's been a really special boy and I've never loved a pet the way I love him and the house is going to feel SO lonely. 
