The last 36 hours started out with a trip to the ER early Friday morning and a long day at the hospital with a painful medical procedure for my husband. That was followed by a late night trip to the emergency pet vet that culminated with our beloved cat, Moxie passing away 12 hours later, tucked into her basket at home. Two emergencies in a single day and a devastating loss.

Moxie was 13 and a Seattle kitten. We adopted her just a few months after we moved to Washington in 2008. One of Kevin’s co-workers found her and her littermates huddled under a pier without a mother. She bottle fed them until they were old enough to be weaned and the entire litter was quickly claimed by others in the office.

Moxie was a polydactyl with extra toes both in front and back. Her paws looked like mittens. She was incredibly sweet—always looking for a lap—and incredibly patient with our son, who built many a LEGO creation on her back over the years. She loved carrying her toys in her mouth, carefully pulling her favorites out of their basket and meowing as she redistributed them. Her collar jingled as she moved throughout the house. It seems very quiet without that sound.

We’re a one-cat household now. Our younger cat, Phoebus, misses his sister and looks for her each time we call him for food. He doesn’t want to eat without her. I think he’s as sad as the rest of us are.