Angel fought CKD with bravery until the end

It is with great sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that our sweet Angel crossed the Rainbow Bridge last night.

Just the day before, we were celebrating his 13th birthday, so grateful to still have him with us, never imagining that only 24 hours later, we would have to say goodbye.

Angel suffered a sudden and terrifying neurological crisis. We just knew the time had come to make the most heartbreaking decision of all — to help him cross the Rainbow Bridge peacefully and not let him suffer a minute longer. We were with him until he took his last breath.

Angel came into our lives exactly 13 years ago as a completely deaf kitten who had been abandoned and was trying to fend for himself with so much bravery.

It was almost midnight when we were trying to encourage him to follow us to a safer place where we had set up a feeding station for him. We weren’t planning on rescuing him that night, but he had it all figured out!

We sat on a street bench, waiting for him to find the new feeding station, when he suddenly spotted us, crossed the street, and jumped onto our lap. I ran back home, got a carrier, and brought it back to where Paul was waiting with the kitten. As we opened the carrier, he simply jumped right into it. Angel had chosen us and the rest is history!

He was our very first special-needs rescue, and because of him, we opened our hearts and our home to more homeless cats, eventually starting our own small cat sanctuary.

RELATED: ANGEL’s rescue story

For 13 years, Angel filled our lives with love. Even when his kidneys began to fail, even after two hospitalizations and countless difficult days, he fought with such strength and determination that he amazed us. Although he wasn’t a large cat, his presence was enormous and despite his deafness he was quite chatty.

Today, our small cat sanctuary feels unbearably empty and quiet without our little Gladiator

Run free, sweet Angel! You are now reunited with your beloved Gigi. No more nausea, no more weakness, no more medications, no more needles, no more pain , no more fighting.

Just peace in the arms of our Lord Jesus

Thank you for fighting so hard to stay with us a little longer, and thank you for giving us 13 unforgettable years of love.

Until we meet again.