Such a sad day!

My dad has loved cats all of his life.He grew up on a farm and I have photos of him as a little boy of four, holding a kitten in his arms. 

My dad is a tough guy with a soft heart. Every time I hear Toby Keith's song, "Made in America", I think of my Dad.
He can fix anything and really does! He can be found daily in his garage fixing something for someone or creating a new gizmo for some gadget. He restores antique trucks and tractors, many times fabricating the parts himself. I have realized that I get much of my creativity from him.
Years ago, he adopted two stray cats that have become his buddies. They sleep in his garage and he made them a bed next to his woodstove, so they can be warm in the winter. They greet him when he has been gone and bring him little "gifts" that we won't talk about here.... ewww!

They were feral cats and for the most part my dad is the only one that can handle them. He named one Baby and one Rusty.
Rusty has been sick for awhile and has been losing weight. The vet said he had cancer. Today he took a severe turn for the worse and was suffering incredibly.
My mom and dad wrapped him in a blanket and took him to the emergency vet. My mother told me that my dad held Rusty until he was gone and suffering no longer. It broke my heart to picture this. When I talked to my dad, he said he was worried about how Baby would do without Rusty. Such a sad day!
Most days I really hate living so far away from my family, but especially on days like this. (They live in NY and I live in Iowa.)
Rusty lived for 14 years and for many of those years, had a good life being loved by my dad. I'm glad that memories can live in our hearts forever!