Growing up, my family always had cats—but by the time I got to college, I wanted one I could call my own. So, I visited Animal Home in Michigan, looking for the perfect cat.
There was a black kitten I nearly ignored. He was skinny and small and not even cute, but he stuck his paws through the cage, trying to play with me. He was clearly interested in me, so I asked to hug him. He curled up on my shoulder and began purring(发出咕噜声)．Our connection was immediate. I adopted him, named him Adam, and brought him home.
Over the next 16 years, Adam and I were so close. He was gentle, sweet and playful. But one night last year, everything changed.
It was as if one day Adam was still acting like a kitten, and then the next day he was vomiting(呕吐) all the time and no longer acting like his usual self. He' d lost weight and I knew that he was sick. I took him to the vet(兽医) and the diagnosis was sad: stomach cancer. Worse yet, the vet thought he was too old for operation. All I could do was give him medicine to help make him more comfortable.
A month later, Adam got worse. I took him to the emergency vet, where they kept him overnight to administer fluids(输液)．When I went to pick him up the next morning, on Christmas Eve, the vet said it was time to end his life. It was the best thing to do for him. With deep sorrow, I said goodbye to him.
Once I got back home, reality hurt me much. Usually, Adam was there to wait for me at the door. But he was gone, leaving an aching emptiness in my life and at my home. I suffered from huge pain. I told my husband I didn' t want another cat.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。
Few weeks later, my friend Amy who rescued homeless cats called me.
After I brought the new cat home, my huge pain gradually disappeared.
