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I am a 42 year old woman that is about as happy and content as one person can be. My husband of 21 years and our 15 year old daughter live on five and a half acres out in the country. We moved from the city four years ago and never looked back. I homeschool our daughter. We also love our animals. Our daughter has a miniature horse and two rabbits. We also have a border collie, two cats (again), two pot belly pigs, four peafowl, three emus, 2 llamas and an undetermined number of chickens, lets just say ohhh about 200. I have many breeds, from layers to fancy chickens. I love poultry shows, I love fowl in general as I have come to find out through having more than just chickens. Chickens will always be my first love though. I do show some of my birds occasionally.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Last Cat Standing Has Passed

MPTA202

This is an old picture of Kitten. She was a lot younger then...werent we all. She was rocking on 18 years old this year so she lived a very long time considering most cats dont live past two years of age these days..whether it be getting out and getting hit or getting into fights. Cats have so many diseases and infections that can kill them. Kittens name at first was Sabrina. We found her on the side of the road in Riverdale. She would have most certainly been hit if I had not picked her up as she was at a very busy intersection.

When we first got her, she did something strange. She would turn in circles, it was like some kind of inner ear or neurological disorder. She didnt do it all the time, and it went away soon after we got her.

She was always an indoor cat. We tried putting her on a harness and letting her walk around in the back yard, but she never took to the outdoors which is probably just as well.

She was a friendly social cat, always loved attention, never wanted you to stop petting when you started.

This past Summer she suddenly went blind. It was there one day, gone the next. It was very scary for her. We had to confine her to the bathroom with all her ammenities in place where she could find them easily. She has a nice warm bed, litter box, waterer, and always had access to her food. It took a while but she adapted and was not so scared.

Around the middle of December she had an episode, she began pacing and circling. Not all the time at first, but after several days it became constant, she would not stop until she was exhausted and just couldnt walk.

Something was neurologically going wrong. Her eyes were slightly jerking back and forth in the sockets. I put her in a basket with blankets and sat with her in the living room. I thought this was the end. She was panting and meowing. She would tense and then slowly relax. She couldnt control it, but she urinated on the floor in the bathroom as she couldnt get up, she couldnt walk anymore. As I sat there petting her, talking to her I thought she would be passing soon.

But this was not what happened.

With me helping her to drink and eat and then placing her in a basket, confining her to rest..and boy did she rest, moreso than a cat usually does...she slowly recovered. Believe it or not, she was fine, would eat, poop, pee, walk, meow, everything, fine, she was still blind of course, but she had adapted to that before.

A few days ago, it started again. The pacing, sometimes, but not all the time. Then it got worse. She couldnt stop, she just walked and walked, walked in her food, in her water, pushing things out of the way, going around them once pushed out of the way. I confined her again after helping her eat and drink last night.

About ten last night I went in to check on her and put her in the litter box if she needed to go and let her eat and drink. (I wouldhave to hold her in place while she ate and drank).

She had pushed her way out of the covered basket and I found her on the floor...passed away.

So she lost her battle with whatever was going wrong last night

There is a sense of relief. Once I saw it coming back again I knew it would just keep coming back to torture her, so I am glad she passed. She was old and it was time. We will miss her, but I am glad she is out of her misery. She lived a good long life.

Here is a picture of Phoenix and her, just before she went blind.

She would tolerate him. She never would hurt him. She would let him drink and eat from her bowls.

She was the last cat. We have had many over the years...but she was the last.

 

PB260028

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Poor thing, May she rest in peace. Those are good pictures you have of her. Helen

Anonymous said...

What a lovely gal....she walks with God now and all the beautiful,wonderful animal friends that have gone before her.Bless her little heart,she stayed as long as she dared...
**Many Hugs** Your Way-my heart aches for you.....
connie
http://journals.aol.co.uk/specialadyfink/Anyway...../

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear...  losing pets suck so bad.  She actually looks exactly like my best friends cat.  I'm thinking about ya today...

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry you lost your kitty.  It sounds like a blessing that she passed however.  Linda

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry, but it sounds like she's better off.  She did live a very long happy life.  I'm sure of that because she was a pet of your's.

Hollie

Anonymous said...

Awww.  I'm sorry to hear of her passing.  But like you said, she is not tortured anymore.  Poor kitty.  
Traci

Anonymous said...

You've had her longer than Shelby.  That is so sad but you're right, it was time and she had a wonderful life with you.  Obviously you took great care of her or she wouldn't have lived nearly that long.  Ours only lived about 13.  I am sorry for the loss of your friend though.  There is always that empty space though where they used to be, isn't there.  Can't say sorry for ya'll enough.

Nelishia
http://journals.aol.com/nelishianatl/PrayingandBelieving/
http://journals.aol.com/nelishianatl/Crocheted-Creations/
http://jouranls.aol.com/nelishianatl/the-tents-of-deborah/

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry hon. She looks like a beautiful little lady. She lived far longer than so many cats do. She had a happy, content life with you. In the end that's all we can do is make them comfortable and feel loved. You did both. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers on the smoke. (Hugs) Indigo

Anonymous said...

Kelly this is so sad ~ you gave her a lovely life and she had a good long one thanks to you ~ I can imagine how much you will miss her ~ Ally x

Anonymous said...

Kelly sorry about the passing of your cat. 18 years is a long time for a cat to live, she had a good long life.

Sunny

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to hear about the kitty!
What a cool photo of her and the chicken! Kitty has that look~"Ok, ok.......I'll TOLERATE this just this once. But don't come back getting your chicken scratch feet all in my food again."

Angel

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to hear about your kitty passing.
Terrie

Anonymous said...

Oh I am so sorry Kitten passed away - you surely did everything and more to help her through her rough periods, she knew you loved her.  I love the picture of her & Phoenix, how cute is that.  She is a pretty girl.
xxx
Lisa

Anonymous said...

Aww I'm so sorry to hear your baby passed away!  What  a sad day.  My thoughts are with you.  

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