With deep sadness, I write to share news of our clinic kitty Bruiser Bear’s passing. He was just 13 weeks shy of his 19th birthday. He had battled inflammatory bowel disease and kidney disease for the last 18 months. Bruiser came to live at Lexington Animal Hospital as a small orange kitten after Dr. Carls adopted him from the Rockbridge SPCA. She tried to bring him home with her many times, but he made it known that he felt most comfortable in the hospital.

Bruiser loved climbing into half unpacked boxes delivering medical supplies, jumping onto the treatment table just as you were opening the carrier of sassy cat for a nail trim, hiding in hospital cabinets, and begging for squeeze cheese and hair ball treats. He caught a mouse exactly once last year, and seemed utterly surprised by his luck. He lovingly endured silly hats and all the cuddles from the staff that cared for him over the course of his life.

Bruiser’s decline made us all struggle with balancing the quality of his life with choosing among available interventions to give him longevity. Today’s decision to euthanize him was not easy, but he was surrounded by those who loved him.