Memories of the handsomest boy

I've been putting off posting this because it was so painful to go through the pictures, but I really do want just... something out there. I want people to know how amazing he was. This is a small memorial to my best friend, and a project I'm taking on in his honor at the end.

"That's enough doomscrolling. It's time to pet me."

Gandalf passed away in January. He had kidney disease and diabetes. I kept him going for as long as I was able, but he eventually let me know he'd had enough. He was 17.

He was the stupidest, sweetest guy I've ever known. There will never be another one like him.

Even at his grumpiest, he was sweet. He let me give him his medicine twice every day without a single complaint. He just let me do whatever. He was such a good boy!

No matter how much we tried, he never quite got used to car trips, but he put up with that too. He was a trooper.

His favorite thing was holding my hand and sleeping on me. He would bother me at my computer until I gave him my hand to lay on. I miss that so, so much.

And I do mean that sleeping on me was his *favorite* thing.

He was very, very food motivated. Towards the end that was part of why I knew it was getting close to time. His appetite disappeared and then he stopped eating completely. He didn't even go for churus anymore. I gave him lots and lots of treats and love while I still could, and I'm glad I did.

He loved his spot at the window. He would follow us downstairs every day and yell for us to open the curtain so he could watch the world go by. He'd curl up on that chair all day sometimes.

Saying goodbye was the hardest thing I've ever done. I thought I was getting over it, but making this post really brought everything back. But I want to focus on the positive.

I decided, after he passed, I wanted to do something with animals. So I'm getting involved with a dog and cat rescue in Denver, CO. The pictures I have of Gandalf are my treasures, and I want to get better at taking candid pet photographs, both for my personal use and to try to get better social media attention for animals in need of fosters and adoption.

If you have any recommendations for cameras that won't break the bank, I'd love to hear them.

If you live in the Denver area and want to foster or adopt, please message me. The org I'm working with covers all costs including food and vet care for fosters, which I'm really impressed by. Not all rescues go that far.

Thanks for reading. I'm glad that someone else knows that Gandalf existed and I hope the pictures brought you even a fraction of the joy they bring me. Give your furry friend some love for us.