I think another part of the reason I've been feeling sad lately is not just Christmas per se, but mid-December last year we came home and found our cat Rascal had died before we made it home from out of town, so it's an anniversary of that, and now just this month his brother Stormy has really started slowing down a lot - very markedly. He's 15 1/2. He sleeps almost all the time now, rarely wants to go outside, except his latest thing, he now wants to go out front at night (which he never did before, we only let them in the fenced backyard) and walk down the sidewalk. I figure if that makes him happy, I will let him and I always follow him and if he starts to go into the street I pick him up and come back in the house. Last night I let him cross the street and followed him and he continued down the sidewalk then up into another driveway before I picked him up and came back home. I don't know what that's about, except I worry that he's looking for a place to go hide where he can pass away in peace. H thinks I'm being silly thinking that way. But I've heard that cats do that, cuz they want to be alone when they pass, and that was one thing that gave me peace about not being here when Rascal passed - he didn't have to worry about us. Stormy has always been super healthy, the only health thing he ever had was early last year he had that thing I always forget the name of and was on pain meds and had to eat baby food for a few days to clear it up. It's amazing how much pets become members of the family - he came to live with us when he was a wee kitten, so he's been a member of the family for basically all of his life.