Saying goodbye to a pet is always heartbreaking, and Aiden, from Maryland in the US, knows this all too well. Devastated by the loss of his cat, Vincent Vinny Van Gogh, affectionately known as Vinny, the thirty-something thought he would never feel light-hearted again. His faithful companion passed away peacefully in his arms on 9th October, at the estimated age of 12 to 15.
Vinny was a rescue who had lived on the streets before being taken in by Ronin’s Feral Cat Colony Rescue in Pennsylvania, US. On the day he died, Aiden took him for one last walk outside as a final farewell. Since then, the silence left by his 'grumpy little old man' has weighed heavily on him. The empty spot on the sofa where Vinny loved to rest is a daily reminder of his absence.
An unexpected card
A few days after Vinny passed away, Aiden received a condolence card from the veterinary clinic that had cared for him. He was expecting a standard, kind message. But when he opened it, he found a sentence that made him burst out laughing through his tears: ”Even though he didn't like us, we will still miss him.”
This touch of humour, which perfectly captured the cat's feisty character, deeply moved Aiden. ”I started crying when I opened the card, thinking the sadness was going to overwhelm me,” he told Newsweek. ”Instead, I broke into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. It was so unexpected, so true.”
A tribute that went viral
Moved and amused, Aiden shared a photo of the card and several snaps of Vinny on Reddit under the username u/lovesyrup23. The post quickly touched thousands of users, receiving over 20,000 views and hundreds of comments. Many owners of cats with a 'spicy' temperament also shared their stories, praising the vets' thoughtfulness and humour.
