My family's pet population was recently cut in half within five days. It was a week I would never want to relive.

On a Monday afternoon we realized our 13-year-old lab, Jack, who was the color of sipping whiskey, could no longer lift himself. His days were numbered and his quality of life was gone. We knew the humane thing would be to put him down, as they say. But where would we bury him? Digging a grave for a 90-pound dog was too much.

So, on a Tuesday afternoon, we made the decision to have him cremated. It was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. His 90-pound body was just too large to bury. But the folks at McKamey Animal Center on Access Road helped ease my pain, giving my husband and me all the time we needed with Jack.

Five days later, knowing that Oscar, the best tomcat on the planet, was having some kind of urinary blockage problem, we made an appointment with our vet to have him looked at. So, on a Saturday morning we got up at 7 a.m. to ready for the 8 o'clock appointment, only to find Oscar dead on the floor at the foot of our bed. The tears and screams that ran through our house still echo. "What more?" I yelled to no one, or maybe to God.

Oscar is now buried in our back yard. Digging his grave was easy; visiting it is hard. I remember all the fun times we had. He was more like a dog than a cat. He loved to have his stomach scratched and went crazy over spaghetti and meatloaf. He loved blue cheese dressing, too. I've never had a feline like that.

I've heard people sound embarrassed about missing a cat. There's nothing wrong with it. Animals become part of your routine, part of your life.

Two days after burying Oscar, we picked up Jack's ashes. What a wonderful service McKamey offers. When the time comes for you to put your pet to rest and you'd like to learn more, call 305-6500.