In the midst of all our excitement about looking for a new boat, we had to say goodbye to another family member, our very special furry friend, Sparky. Over the past year, his health had deteriorated significantly – he was blind, had lost his hearing, and was having cognitive issues. It was breaking our hearts watching him struggle every day. After several weeks of procrastinating, I finally scheduled a local vet to come to the coach to help us say a final goodbye to him on June 24th, just six days shy of his 19th birthday. We were lucky to have had him for so many years. Here are a few photos and a fun video from his younger years:

Although we knew it had to be done, we were devastated, especially Rob! Ever since Sparky was a kitten, unlike the other cats we have had over the years, Sparky always gravitated towards Rob, following him around like a puppy, sleeping on his chest and draping himself across his shoulders when Rob was trying to type on his PC. Sparky was a Daddy’s boy for sure! Cats have always been part of my life so being without one is especially difficult for me. But at the moment we have no plans to add any new kitties to our nomadic lifestyle, that will probably need to wait until we “settle down”. In the meantime we will have a bit more “freedom” and things like service appointments will be much less hectic.