Yellow roses and a three-legged cat

Capturing the beauty of yellow roses as they fade helped me tap into peace and calm, which I really needed these past few weeks.

I was distressed about one of our cats; Archie wasn't doing well and I feared the worst.

We adopted Archie from the Humane Society ten years ago. He's such a lovely animal, terribly handsome with a most peaceful deposition. It's an understatement to say we're attached to him.

He's our therapy cat. Anyone could benefit from being around him (except those allergic, perhaps). You look into his gorgeous green eyes, stroke his soft beautifully patterned fur, hear his roaring purr and you feel better.

Imagine our grief when we learned of a growing and painful bone tumour in one of his hind legs.

Amputation was recommended. It was expensive but it would put an end to Archie's pain, which was growing increasingly hard to manage, even with heavy painkillers. It would definitely prolong his life. But a life with three legs? Was it the right thing to do?

Something the vet said put us at ease: a cat doesn't look backwards to when it had four legs, it moves forward and adapts.

It's been almost three weeks since his surgery. His recovery is a wonderful thing to assist and witness. Being kind and tender has been the trend around here. I'm touched to see those qualities shine in my husband and kids.

He slept a great deal the first week but now he's more alert. We can tell by his ears - super perky! He gets out of his heated bed to eat and use the litter. His stitches are out and he doesn't have to wear the dreaded cone of shame anymore, thank goodness. He even manages going down the stairs on his own. And he grooms himself! It's a good sign because it suggests he's not depressed.

Further on in his recovery, when his wound has healed and his fur has grown back in, I'll post a video or two.

Archie's going to get along just fine with three legs instead of four and that makes us positively giddy with happiness.