RIP Feline Manrique

Granny doesn't seem lucky with her male cats - or alternatively, if she's being really paranoid, she hexes them in some way. Hexed or not hexed, sweet, purring, pretty, very loving little Feline Manrique has been a problem for some time; forever needing the vet, forever being fed anti-biotics. He had some congenital problem with his uro-genital system; and no, Granny will not burden you with the gory details - the nice little drawings done by the vet to demonstrate the not very nice problem will remain between her and him. Suffice to say she spent a lot of time clearing up after him. And taking him to the vet and feeding him anti-biotics. It was a rare condition said lovely vet Pedro, doing his best. Today she took FM to see Pedro yet again, this time to check that his latest little problem had cleared up, as a result of the latest batch of anti-biotics. Certainly he seemed more lively; her hopes were high. It hadn't cleared up. It was going to happen again and again. Lovely vet Pedro could have tried operating on him; most likely an operation wouldn't work.

The result was inevitable. FM was not a viable cat; was never going to be a happy, well cat. Was always going to be the often languid depressed cat Granny had seen too often, with sadness.

She departed weeping from the clinic of Lovely Pedro - who was at his most lovely, giving her a hug and and a kiss of sympathy - leaving her pretty purring adorable FM with his stripy stockings and very loud voice behind her. By now his voice, his purr will be silenced, his stripy paws stilled. Forgive Granny, if left with one lively, if less pretty female cat she is a bit too sad to continue with this. She's off to throw the last remaining pills FM was supposed to take into the bin.

Why do we have animals when they cause us so much sadness? What a waste of feeling it is, she thinks. Except it isn't.

RIP Feline Manrique, missing a vital bit but so lovely and only 10 months old - RIP.