Heartbreak

Sunday night, after eating with Matts parents, we came home to find Armani sick. He came up onto the bed and tried to pee right in front of us, with no luck. I took him into the bathroom with me and made him a clean litter box and realized that he was blocked again. He had had this problem before, so it was obvious to me that thats what was happening. I sat with him for a little bit, pet him and tried to get him to relax, but he was having such a hard time, and in so much pain that he passed out, and started to pant. I picked him up, got dressed and took him into the Emergency clinic. There they flushed his bladder out, put him on some pain medication and concluded that he was indeed blocked and that I needed to take him into his regular vet in the morning. That morning he tried to go potty again and again but to no avail. I took him into the Dr as soon as they opened and they got him under anesthetic so that they could exam him. (He is not the easiest cat to control with his size and attitude.) They did a few tests on him, and found that he had struvite crystals embedded in his urethra. The Dr talked to me about a surgery that would entail removing his penis and building a new system so that he could pee a little easier. However, it would not be without complications, and a lot of money. After talking to Matt about our options, we decided that Armani should be put to sleep. It was a hard decision to make, but I still feel that it was the best one. The Dr informed us that this was all very painful, and that Armani may never be able to urinate without pain again. I didn't think that was fair to him. He was only 4 years old but the Dr thinks that Armani just had a hard time passing crystals that would usually not be a problem.
Matt, Shauna and I were all with Armani when he passed away. I regret not saying goodbye to him while he was awake, but I did get to spend all night and day with him. He was my little buddy, and loved me a lot.I will miss him sleeping on my feet at night, I will miss his loud meow that he did whenever he wanted something, and I will miss laughing at the way he slept and played. He was by far the coolest cat I have ever met, and I will not even attempt to find another like him. Not only was he such a great character, but he was the most handsome kitty. This picture was taken days before he died. I though it was so funny. Yes, he is fast asleep like that.We buried him at my parents house and I hoping to plant some black and white roses above his grave. I know that to some people it might seem silly to do all this for a cat, but he was also a good friend.Although I know we made the right decision, I am still having a hard time being home without him. Matts parents sent me beautiful flowers this morning, and it was hard being able to leave them out now that Armani is not around to eat them. I know that every day will get better, but he will never be forgotten.