- Joined
- Dec 1, 2009
- Messages
- 541
- Points
- 133
My wonderful buddy of 7 years has passed.
I named him as a bad pun - cat.5e is the spec. name for ethernet cable.
Last Monday evening, I noticed 5e wasn't in his usual evening spot (on a pillow beside me, while i either played video games, or programmed) -- I wouldn't have thought much of it except the other cats were staring behind me and I was hearing a periodic rasping noise...
Turns out my buddy was hiding under the cat tree, totally gray(instead of his normal pink) and gasping for breath.
I rushed him to emergency clinic, and the vet lets me know he's in congestive heart failure. likely HCM.
it took two days to get him stable and able to breathe without oxygen.
I finally got him home Wednesday evening, and although he's better -- I can tell he's not going to be with me much longer -- he would eat and drink and cuddle, but wearily -- I found myself hoping it was just fatigue from his ordeal and he'd recover but i was quite doubtful.
5e was sooo food focused for his entire life, and even more so as i had him on a weight control diet. I had got his weight from a grossly obese 16# to only a little overweight 12.5# over the past 2 years.
We cuddled and he got fed his favorite treats Wednesday and Thursday. I adjusted the heat in the house to be a bit warmer for him (he likes it over 85F). It was obvious he was very tired, and the diuretics were barely keeping him going.
Friday morning, he eats like one bite and goes to lay down. By the time I made my coffee he was starting to breathe hard. Judging by how fast he was fading, he wouldn't last long enough to make it to the vet. I immediately curled up with him, fired an email off to work--letting them know that even if everything caught fire that I was unavailable, and turned off my phone.
I made the decision that his last moments wouldn't be stuck in a carrier, being jostled by traffic. I held him for the next 15 minutes. the entire time he was purring between gasps. Once he passed, I wrapped him in the tshirt(my favorite) that he had stolen to curl up on both times his heart started acting up.
I'm normally a pretty stoic, get things done fellow. It took me nearly 2 hours to hold it together long enough to dig a grave for my buddy, and another 3 for me to be strong enough to bury him.
Great companions are hard to find, and even harder to let go of. 5e, you were the best. Miss you, buddy :hugs:
I named him as a bad pun - cat.5e is the spec. name for ethernet cable.
Last Monday evening, I noticed 5e wasn't in his usual evening spot (on a pillow beside me, while i either played video games, or programmed) -- I wouldn't have thought much of it except the other cats were staring behind me and I was hearing a periodic rasping noise...
Turns out my buddy was hiding under the cat tree, totally gray(instead of his normal pink) and gasping for breath.
I rushed him to emergency clinic, and the vet lets me know he's in congestive heart failure. likely HCM.
it took two days to get him stable and able to breathe without oxygen.
I finally got him home Wednesday evening, and although he's better -- I can tell he's not going to be with me much longer -- he would eat and drink and cuddle, but wearily -- I found myself hoping it was just fatigue from his ordeal and he'd recover but i was quite doubtful.
5e was sooo food focused for his entire life, and even more so as i had him on a weight control diet. I had got his weight from a grossly obese 16# to only a little overweight 12.5# over the past 2 years.
We cuddled and he got fed his favorite treats Wednesday and Thursday. I adjusted the heat in the house to be a bit warmer for him (he likes it over 85F). It was obvious he was very tired, and the diuretics were barely keeping him going.
Friday morning, he eats like one bite and goes to lay down. By the time I made my coffee he was starting to breathe hard. Judging by how fast he was fading, he wouldn't last long enough to make it to the vet. I immediately curled up with him, fired an email off to work--letting them know that even if everything caught fire that I was unavailable, and turned off my phone.
I made the decision that his last moments wouldn't be stuck in a carrier, being jostled by traffic. I held him for the next 15 minutes. the entire time he was purring between gasps. Once he passed, I wrapped him in the tshirt(my favorite) that he had stolen to curl up on both times his heart started acting up.
I'm normally a pretty stoic, get things done fellow. It took me nearly 2 hours to hold it together long enough to dig a grave for my buddy, and another 3 for me to be strong enough to bury him.
Great companions are hard to find, and even harder to let go of. 5e, you were the best. Miss you, buddy :hugs: