My wife and I adopted our cat three years ago. She was very vocal and energetic. She loved jumping around. She ate a lot of food. Her relative youthfulness made it very easy to forget her age.

She recently turned 14, the cat equivalent to a 72-year-old person. She sleeps a little more now, jumps less, and she doesn’t eat as much. I feel optimistic that she still has at least a few more years to go. 

Her birthday was a celebration, and also a poignant reminder. Life is short. We’re all headed to the same destination. Every moment is once in a lifetime.

In the meantime, the vet says her teeth are great. Her coat is very healthy. She drinks a lot of water. In another three years, maybe those things will be different.