From: "Robert Comer" 

Sorry to hear of the problems and definitely feel your pain.  I've had many
cats over the years and my current one is 20 years old, so I know time
isn't long for her either.  They really do get to be a part of the family.

--
Bob Comer


"Jim Adams"  wrote in message
news:445bc9d4$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>  Just after my future bride & I began living together she suggested we
> get a couple of cats. Neither one of us had ever had cats as pets but I
> said sure.  I had nothing against cats, even rather liked them.  Just
> had never had much contact with them.  Had the usual preconception that
> they're aloof, independent, not overly affectionate once past the kitten
> stage.
>
> So we adopted a couple of cats from a friend at work. Picked 'em up on
> Friday and took to the vet for shots and a physical.  Next day get the
> call.  They're positive for feline leukemia.  Returned cats to friend
> for him to take care of.
>
> A bit gun shy now.  About a month goes by and another friend at work has
> a brother who's cat had had a litter.  We go over to inspect.  Three
> left in the litter.  One  calico, one all gray, and one gray and white.
> I decide I wanted the two gray guys.  Figure she would want the one gray
> and white and the calico.  Let the future wife choose first.  Knew she
> would pick the gray and white one.  He was the star.  Big head, big
> white feet, full of piss and vinegar.  So we take these tow to the vet.
> Get good news the next day.  Both are free of feline leukemia.  The gray
> and white became Ezekiel and the other fur ball Gideon.
>
> From the first Zeke, AKA the Big Guy, was a handful.  A big cat (16lbs
> at one point), long, wide.  Utterly fearless (except of the vet).
> Greeted everyone who came in the house.  Fascinated by anyone wearing a
> tool belt (finding plumbers particularly enthralling).  Would get into
> anything and everything.  And stubborn.  As part of our training regime
> we would spray them with water when we wanted them to stop something and
> a shout/clap didn't work.  Which it rarely did with Zeke.  He would
> stand his ground, the water dripping off his fur, until you physically
> removed him.
>
> As they had a habit of waking us in the middle of the night when they
> became bored/hungry we decided to lock them out of the bedroom at night.
> You could hear Zeke running down the hallway towards the bedroom door.
> Then BAM.  A few minutes latter pat-pat-pat-pat-pat BAM.  So we decided
> it wasn't worth it.  We were still being disturbed and the Big Guy could
> damage himself.  So my wife gave up getting a good night's sleep for the
> next 17 years.  Being a sounder sleeper, due no doubt to my clear
> conscience, I usually wasn't disturbed.  Except at one point my wife was
> taking some new medication and sleeping soundly.  This didn't deter
> Zeke.  When he couldn't wake-up either of us with his usual mewling and
> stomping around the bed he resorted to extreme action.  He licked my
> lips.  Tell me that doesn't freak you out in the middle of the night.
>
> As the years went by Zeke became more my wife's cat and Gideon mine (I
> think they knew who picked whom).  He would follow my wife around the
> house like a dog.  Although appearing the more robust of the two, Zeke
> was the one who usually had us taking him to the vet.  Self-inflicted
> hematomas on each ear that needed to be drained and stitched.
> Projectile omitting. Dehydration due to said omitting.  But pretty
> healthy overall. But through out it all he was a stoic.  Want to give me a
> pill - go ahead.  Probe the abdomen - I won't complain.  The Big Guy was
> always a trooper.
>
> Then came his annual check-up in February.  He had an over-active
> thyroid.  We tried medication but it wasn't working.  Decided to go the
> Iodine 131 route.  Gideon had had the treatment 8 years ago and it
> worked fine.  Cut the thyroid down to size and the radioactivity didn't
> seem to harm him otherwise.  So two weeks ago last Monday Zeke went in
> for his treatment.  When he returned home he seemed rather listless and
> didn't have much of an appetite.  Figured he was adjusting to his new
> hormone levels but took him back to the cat clinic the following
> Monday.  They said his blood work was fine and to keep monitoring him.
> No improvement.  And he was losing weight.  In February he was down to
> 11 lbs., 9 OZ.  So I took him to our regular vet this past Monday.
> Weight is down to 9 lbs, 11 oz.  As the doc is probing him he goes "Oh,
> no". Zeke had a mass in his abdomen and was retaining fluid.  Drained
> the fluid (about 150 mls) from his gut.  X-ray shows a mass encompassing
> his liver and both kidneys. Surgery isn't an option even for a young
> cat.  Only question now is when.
>
> Brought him home and told the wife.  Decided we would have him put down
> last night.  However, he's rallied.  We were giving him pain
> medication.  Between that and having the fluid drained his appetite has
> returned and he's more active.  But there's no long term, or even much
> more of a short term solution.  We're hoping to get him through the
> weekend - more for our sakes than his.  Monday will probably be the
> day.  So we're medicating and spoiling.  Zeke gets to eat all the
> chopped liver he can hold.
>
> One of my fondest memories, second only to the lip licking episodes, has
> do do with a squirrel.  Neither of the boys were ever outdoor cats.
> Except for the rare and brief excursion on the patio they've lived their
> lives indoors.  One day I was out looking at the patio and see a squirrel
> out there digging away.  I opened the door and yelled. Squirrel ignores.
> Zeke is at my feet.  I open the screen.  Zeke looks up at me. "Get 'em,
> Zeke!" and out he tears.  Of course the squirrel runs up the garden wall
> leaving Zeke bewildered but exhilarated.  His moment in the sun.
>
> I realize that being childless Ynette & I have probably over-invested
> emotionally in our animals.  And have really over anthopormorphized
> them.  But looking in their eyes, there may not be a soul, but there is
> certainly a spirit.  Whether it's reincarnation, a joining with the
> great spirit, a kitty heaven, there's no justice in the 'verse if that
> spirit doesn't doesn't go on in some way.

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5