05/31/2026
We were supposed to be spending this weekend in Ocean City, Maryland celebrating our niece’s graduation.
Instead, we’re coming home with broken hearts.
Just before we were set to leave, our beloved Scottish Fold, Cola Bear, suddenly began showing signs of respiratory distress. We immediately turned our attention to getting him help and rushed to an emergency veterinarian over an hour and a half away.
The entire drive, we held onto hope.
We talked to him. We told him how much we loved him. We begged him to hang on just a little longer.
As soon as we arrived at the emergency veterinarian, they rushed him inside and began working on him. Despite everyone’s efforts, our sweet boy took his last breath shortly after we arrived.
There are no words to describe the heartbreak of losing a family member so suddenly.
Cola Bear was simply our pet—my husband’s best buddy and constant companion. If you knew my husband, you knew Cola. The two of them were rarely far apart. Whether he was hanging out with him in the garage, following him around the house, or relaxing in his favorite spots in our finished basement, Cola always wanted to be near his person.
And my husband adored him right back.
The bond they shared was something special. The kind of bond animal lovers understand without needing it explained.
But Cola wasn’t just loved by my husband. He was loved by all of us. He had the sweetest soul, the gentlest personality, and a way of making everyone who met him fall in love with him. He never asked for much—just a little attention, a warm place to nap, and the chance to be close to the people he loved.
Today, the garage feels emptier.
The basement feels quieter.
Our home feels different.
We keep expecting to see his face around the corner, hear his footsteps, or find him stretched out in one of his favorite spots.
The hardest part of loving our pets is knowing that one day we’ll have to say goodbye. No matter how much time we get, it’s never enough.
Cola Bear gave us years of unconditional love, loyalty, comfort, and happiness. He was there through ordinary days that didn’t seem important at the time but have now become memories we’ll treasure forever.
If love alone could have saved him, he would have lived forever.
Run free, sweet Cola Bear. Thank you for every purr, every cuddle, every moment of comfort, and every memory. Thank you for loving us so completely.
You took a piece of our hearts with you, and we will miss you for the rest of our lives.
💔🐾 Until we meet again, sweet boy.