Near the end

A gray cat close-up on its nose and whiskers.
Photo by Kevin Knezic / Unsplash

James looked at Mickey, his cat for almost 20 years. She looked sad, old, and it seemed as though she was ready to go on her journey. He looked into her sad face and teary eyes. They suddenly turned cheerful, relieved. Her face almost smiled as James started to smell her gaseous relief.