Gooberlx2
Lifer
Yesterday was a very sad day for my g/f and me. My cat, Midnight (the one with the blue collar in the pictures, though my g/f always called her ?Ree-ree? for how retarded she would act) got sick. Yesterday, after work, I took Midnight in to the vet, for what I thought would have been something disconcerting but probably minor. My g/f met me there, and we left, grief stricken, and without our cat. Midnight had to be put to sleep.
Midnight had a charming habit of accompanying the g/f and me to the bathroom whenever we would shower, bathe, use the facilities?anything to be in the bathroom with us. Sometimes, she would actually crawl onto us as we were in the bath, and take a nap on the exposed portion of our stomachs above the water line. She would nap with us anywhere, and falls asleep almost instantly if she wanted. It was adorable.
On Sunday, April 2nd, I had noticed that night that Ree-ree was breathing somewhat hard?kinda as if she was panting after running hard. I didn?t think much of it and simply cooed as she took a nap on my lap, whilst I was on the toilet.
Monday rolled by and same deal. Still breathing hard and napping lots, I figured she must have a cold. My g/f had noticed that she was rather sleepy that day. But then Tuesday night came we both noticed that not only was she breathing hard?it was downright labored with hard, pushing exhales and shallow inhales. Not only was her breathing a problem but she also lethargic, a vast difference between ?sleepy?. We set her in the litter box and she curled up to take a nap! NOT good.
We took her vitals (heart rate, breathing rate, and temperature) but all were fine. Obviously we decided she needed to see the vet. Her condition on Tuesday was not only vastly different from Sunday and Monday, but it seemed to visibly deteriorate as the night went on. But, unfortunately, we couldn?t afford the $40 for a normal vet to SIMPLY LOOK AT HER when we headed out, and by that time (6pm) the low-cost clinic I knew of in downtown Denver had closed at 4pm.
So we watched her closely until it was time for bed and hardly slept a wink that night. When I woke she was in the same spot where we left her, still sleeping. As much as I wanted to skip, I had to go to work (I hate being paid hourly), and hurried back as soon as possible. I swept my cat up into a box (she had still been in that same spot on the couch) and headed out towards Denver. I was worried she?d gotten some kind of flu or ?cat-mono? or something along those lines. I was not ready for what the vet would tell me.
I had to visit the Max Fund Animal Wellness Center on 10th and Inca Streets several times last year when I first adopted Midnight and her sister, Miss Phit, for an ongoing problem with conjunctivitis (?pink-eye?). After all was said and done, the staff there knew me and my cats quite well. They were happy to see me back when I came in. Going into a vet?s office is always a bittersweet reunion, but it was good to see them too, and they always treat me and the cats very well. I explained the symptoms to the Doc, and he agreed something was definitely wrong, though there were no measurable external signs.
They took Midnight in for an X-ray and returned maybe 10 minutes later. Before the Doc had explained it could be some fluid buildup in the chest cavity or an injured diaphragm. I?d hoped it was the former since that could be drained and would probably be cheaper in the long run?I wish I had hoped for the latter.
Doc came back and explained he had found and extracted some fluid from the chest cavity (YES!)?then he started explain just what the yellow colored, molasses-like fluid was. My cat, like almost all cats, had a dormant virus resting in her intestinal tract. Unfortunately the virus had mutated into an FIP variant. It starts amassing fluid into the body cavity, and young cats are most susceptible to this demon. Some cats? gut region is affected. Others, like mine, get affected in the chest cavity, and older cats oftentimes in the brain.
One thing for sure is that if they?re infected, they?re fatally affected. FIP, or Feline Infectious Peritonitis, is an acute killer without cure. That means it comes on quick, with little or no warning, and devastates. The fluid had accumulated in Midnight?s chest cavity and was crushing her lungs. Doc showed me the X-rays, and it was heart breaking to see. Only ½ of the lower lobes was showing in the X-ray, and none of the uppers. My poor Midnight was suffocating. This explained the quick and shallows breaths and the lethargy.
My cat was dying and, as Doc told me, there was nothing I could do to stop it. Draining the fluid would only give her a couple days?maybe. The worst part was that this had been going on for a few days now. Had she been suffering and in pain this whole time? No, I would not drain her chest, she?s been through enough. I told Doc to give me some time to get the g/f over to the office to say goodbye, and we needed to put her down. He was more than gracious and sympathetic. He nodded, put his hand on my shoulder and then left the room as I struggled, choking back my emotions. I lost it.
My g/f rushed over as soon as she could and we said tearful goodbyes to our charming, adorable and sometimes retarded Midnight. It felt like we?d lost a piece of ourselves, and the piece has been replaced by a void. Nothing can fill it as nothing can take its place. I always scoffed at people who thought cloning their pet was a great idea. I always thought ?Why would you want to do that?? ?What a waste of money!? ?now I understand. I don?t want a new cat with new colors and a new personality. I want Ree-ree. In my heart, she was perfect, and why would I want something other than perfect?
Pics from her happier times:
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CRW_3968.jpg
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IMG_5040.JPG
IMG_5041.jpg
IMG_5049.JPG
IMG_5050.JPG
IMG_5051.JPG
IMG_5439.JPG
Her last peaceful moments:
IMG_5567.JPG
IMG_5587.JPG
Midnight had a charming habit of accompanying the g/f and me to the bathroom whenever we would shower, bathe, use the facilities?anything to be in the bathroom with us. Sometimes, she would actually crawl onto us as we were in the bath, and take a nap on the exposed portion of our stomachs above the water line. She would nap with us anywhere, and falls asleep almost instantly if she wanted. It was adorable.
On Sunday, April 2nd, I had noticed that night that Ree-ree was breathing somewhat hard?kinda as if she was panting after running hard. I didn?t think much of it and simply cooed as she took a nap on my lap, whilst I was on the toilet.
Monday rolled by and same deal. Still breathing hard and napping lots, I figured she must have a cold. My g/f had noticed that she was rather sleepy that day. But then Tuesday night came we both noticed that not only was she breathing hard?it was downright labored with hard, pushing exhales and shallow inhales. Not only was her breathing a problem but she also lethargic, a vast difference between ?sleepy?. We set her in the litter box and she curled up to take a nap! NOT good.
We took her vitals (heart rate, breathing rate, and temperature) but all were fine. Obviously we decided she needed to see the vet. Her condition on Tuesday was not only vastly different from Sunday and Monday, but it seemed to visibly deteriorate as the night went on. But, unfortunately, we couldn?t afford the $40 for a normal vet to SIMPLY LOOK AT HER when we headed out, and by that time (6pm) the low-cost clinic I knew of in downtown Denver had closed at 4pm.
So we watched her closely until it was time for bed and hardly slept a wink that night. When I woke she was in the same spot where we left her, still sleeping. As much as I wanted to skip, I had to go to work (I hate being paid hourly), and hurried back as soon as possible. I swept my cat up into a box (she had still been in that same spot on the couch) and headed out towards Denver. I was worried she?d gotten some kind of flu or ?cat-mono? or something along those lines. I was not ready for what the vet would tell me.
I had to visit the Max Fund Animal Wellness Center on 10th and Inca Streets several times last year when I first adopted Midnight and her sister, Miss Phit, for an ongoing problem with conjunctivitis (?pink-eye?). After all was said and done, the staff there knew me and my cats quite well. They were happy to see me back when I came in. Going into a vet?s office is always a bittersweet reunion, but it was good to see them too, and they always treat me and the cats very well. I explained the symptoms to the Doc, and he agreed something was definitely wrong, though there were no measurable external signs.
They took Midnight in for an X-ray and returned maybe 10 minutes later. Before the Doc had explained it could be some fluid buildup in the chest cavity or an injured diaphragm. I?d hoped it was the former since that could be drained and would probably be cheaper in the long run?I wish I had hoped for the latter.
Doc came back and explained he had found and extracted some fluid from the chest cavity (YES!)?then he started explain just what the yellow colored, molasses-like fluid was. My cat, like almost all cats, had a dormant virus resting in her intestinal tract. Unfortunately the virus had mutated into an FIP variant. It starts amassing fluid into the body cavity, and young cats are most susceptible to this demon. Some cats? gut region is affected. Others, like mine, get affected in the chest cavity, and older cats oftentimes in the brain.
One thing for sure is that if they?re infected, they?re fatally affected. FIP, or Feline Infectious Peritonitis, is an acute killer without cure. That means it comes on quick, with little or no warning, and devastates. The fluid had accumulated in Midnight?s chest cavity and was crushing her lungs. Doc showed me the X-rays, and it was heart breaking to see. Only ½ of the lower lobes was showing in the X-ray, and none of the uppers. My poor Midnight was suffocating. This explained the quick and shallows breaths and the lethargy.
My cat was dying and, as Doc told me, there was nothing I could do to stop it. Draining the fluid would only give her a couple days?maybe. The worst part was that this had been going on for a few days now. Had she been suffering and in pain this whole time? No, I would not drain her chest, she?s been through enough. I told Doc to give me some time to get the g/f over to the office to say goodbye, and we needed to put her down. He was more than gracious and sympathetic. He nodded, put his hand on my shoulder and then left the room as I struggled, choking back my emotions. I lost it.
My g/f rushed over as soon as she could and we said tearful goodbyes to our charming, adorable and sometimes retarded Midnight. It felt like we?d lost a piece of ourselves, and the piece has been replaced by a void. Nothing can fill it as nothing can take its place. I always scoffed at people who thought cloning their pet was a great idea. I always thought ?Why would you want to do that?? ?What a waste of money!? ?now I understand. I don?t want a new cat with new colors and a new personality. I want Ree-ree. In my heart, she was perfect, and why would I want something other than perfect?
Pics from her happier times:
CRW_3964.jpg
CRW_3968.jpg
IMG_5021.JPG
IMG_5040.JPG
IMG_5041.jpg
IMG_5049.JPG
IMG_5050.JPG
IMG_5051.JPG
IMG_5439.JPG
Her last peaceful moments:
IMG_5567.JPG
IMG_5587.JPG
