Rest In Peace Barney 1992-2007

Well, Barney was still hanging on when I got home from work around 12:45. Mom got home a little before I did and made an appointment at the vets. Right before we left he stopped being able to walk around and basically flopped on the carpet. Wrapped in a towel, I held him while Mom drove. He hardly moved a muscle, I thought he was going to pass on the way to the dr, but I could still feel his heartbeat.
While we were in the office, his eyes dilated and he started making little coughy-gaspy noises and we knew it was close, so they rushed the doctor in to give him the shot. It took all of 10 seconds, his heart stopped and he was gone, I held him the whole time.

After we brought him home, I stayed to clean him up a little while mom went to get Alexis from school. She was adamant she wanted to hold him before we buried him. I got the box already, cleaned his paws and his face, it was awful.
When she got home she still wanted to hold him, so she did for a moment, then was ready to bury him. We got him situated in the box, put in his favorite toy-a wire with dangly things on it-and walked out to the shed.

Laid Barney to rest, next to his Momma.

We remembered some things about Barney that made us laugh. Mom remembered when he was a kitten and saw a fork for the first time. It was on the floor and he crept up on it...nudged it with his paw and JUMPED from the movement. This went on for hours sometimes. Alexis liked it when he would chase after her shoelaces or ribbons. I remembered how he always cocked his head to my lips so I could kiss and nuzzle his head between his ears, and after his Mom died, he'd lick my thumb so I could clean his face for him like she did. He was a sweet thing.

While we were still shoveling the dirt on his box, Alexis asked "Can we get a puppy now?" Life goes on right?