Sunday, March 1, 2009

The End of the Cat Era


January - February were tough months around our house in some ways. My sweet Brindle, our torty-tabby female cat, had to be put to sleep on Jan. 2, just before we left for Costa Rica. She was having trouble breathing and it just got so bad she couldn't even sleep, eat -- nothing but struggle for air. Her end was peaceful and merciful, and we were thankful we still had one "healthy" diabetic, hyperthyroid cat at home. Rob and Sarah house and cat-sat while we were gone, and things seemed normal when we got back.

Sadly, within a couple of weeks, Tiger stopped eating too. He was vomiting and very lethargic. We took him to the vet and they said his kidneys were probably off and to see if we could tempt him back on to any food at all. So we bought his favorite Fancy Feast soft food and hand fed him until he perked up and we thought we'd beat it. But one night Art gave him his insulin at bedtime and Tiger chose not to eat during the night. He was in diabetic shock the next morning and was having seizures. He even lashed out at us which he had NEVER done. So off to the vet again. Not good news, but we asked that they put him on IV all day, just to keep him alive so that we could gather the kids. Tim and Aubrey joined us that evening as we kissed him goodbye also. We now have no pets and no kids in a great big quiet house. Very empty. It's been tougher than I would have thought, and we can't replace the cats because of Aubrey's cat allergies, so we're having to learn to move on. How do you do that?

On the positive side, my job is going well, I'm making my first patchwork quilt, and my mother is healthy for her age. Best of all, spring will soon be here, and my roses will bloom again. My grandchildren are the cutest things EVER, and the gospel is true. I give thanks every day for the good things. Believe me, I recognize that I am greatly blessed. I have some more nostalgia to share in the next post, and then "movin' on"!

2 comments:

Tim said...

Those were good cats. Also, Aubrey doesn't have puppy allergies if you're ever up for another pet :)

ColleenDown said...

Well, I can't relate to the empty nest yet but I can relate to the attachments. We are still too new at the puppy thing to give you any advice. Glad to see you here in bloggerdom.