Goodbye, gentle Edward...

Our sweet Edward crossed the Rainbow Bridge this week, after more than a year-long fight against an illness that robbed him of his stature, his strength and quality of life.
Seizures started to shake him, and although medicine controlled them, they could not combat what was causing them.
Edward, a gentle giant in his prime, in the end was reduced to less than half his "fighting weight."

He was always a handsome guy, with an appearance and size of a Maine Coon cat, but we never knew exactly his background. He was one of four kittens born in our yard 13 years ago next month, and MomCat, as we called his mom, was extremely feral. Although we were able to trap her and have her spayed, we could never tame her. We fed her and provided outdoor shelter for her for a few years before she simply disappeared.

Ed loved a good stretch -- and a good curl-up in the bathroom sink. 

And then one day a few years ago, a straggly-looking cat appeared. She was skinny, missing patches of fur and her ears were a mess. We named her Disaster, our veterinarian provided great medical care -- and eventually diagnosed her with lupus -- and it was no time until Disaster and Edward were inseparable. 

What a true handsome gentleman Edward was!

A photo just a few weeks ago...

Sunning himself early this week...

With Disaster on his last day, Thursday. He was able to snuggle with her, soak in the sun and enjoy the warm breezes.

We're keeping a close eye on Disaster, since the two were so closely bonded. We know Edward will be waiting for her at the Rainbow Bridge. We just hope we have Disaster for many more years... RIP Edward.