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In memory of Teenoo-neenoo

Izidora

Lairian
Joined
Feb 9, 2017
Messages
104
Points
46
I did write a short story in "The Pain Never Goes" thread but I feel the need to write the entire story, as these days I am thinking about Teenoo again and still crying. It's been 3 months now. :(

I wanted to have a sphynx cat for 5 years. My country is a small country and here sphynxes are not well known and accepted. We did have one official breeder who stopped breeding two years ago or something like that. They were also mega super expensive, something I could never afford with my incomes. So I browsed the websites in search for a sphynx and in 2015 my wish finally came true. I found a breeder, whom I later realized was something people call backyard breeder, and got my first sphynx. Teenoo-neenoo was a special little fellow, lovely and quiet member of our small family (me-my bf-our sphynx), we walked him on a leash ocassionally, we went to the vacation with him, he saw the sea, my grandfather's house, met my parents...slept with me in our bed...had a funny habit of raping my arm which remained even after his neutering, everyone thought it was gross but I found it cute :p Whenever we unlocked our apartment, he was there on the other side of the door on a cupboard, meowing, welcoming us home. In september we got him a younger brother Silvio and they immediately learned to love each other. On the second day they were inseparable and we were so happy for Teenoo wasn't alone anymore when we're at work.

On 2nd november 2016., I went to the work and since I was in a rush, I forgot to say goodbye to them, and I usually do. It was a long day...my boyfriend had some friends to meet after work and I went to a tattoo saloon to get my first tattoo. Around 8 pm I got a call from my boyfriend...hyperventilating, crying...Teenoo is DEAD, he is dead! I was in such a shock that I did not believe it. My hands started to shake uncontrollably as I kept repeating "are you sure he's not breathing? Is he still warm or is he cold? Put him in a blanket! We will go to the emergency vet's! If you keep him warm maybe they can save him! Are you sure he did not eat something? Look in his mouth! Is there anything broken in the house? Is it electricity? But he never ever touched wires! Could he eat something poisonous? But we never leave anything out...." - I kept freaking out, forgetting that a 1 yr 4 months cat could also die of a heart attack. My boyfriend kept crying. "He is stone cold...he is gone...there's a foul stench...he's probably been dead from this morning...there's nothing we can do...oh god Teenoo is dead"....

And so the day of joy, for I got my first tattoo, also turned into a huge and biggest day of sorrow and sadness. My bf came to pick me up...as we came home I just had to see him once more....so my bf opened the plastic bag - it looked as if he was sleeping...I touched him but he was so cold and stiff...I wanted to hold him in my arms for the last time but the smell was so bad I just covered the bag and we cried long into the night. Silvio was under the bed when my boyfriend found Teenoo and wouldn't want to come out. He was there with his dead body the entire day...who knows, did he lick him? Did he tried to wake him up? Did he curl up beside him? So many questions in my head. I still wonder...could I do something, if I was at home? No. The poor guy probably chased around with Silvio and the heart stopped so he probably collapsed and died instantly. Was he in pain? I do not know. I did not say goodbye to him that day! Because I thought I will see him in the evening....oh I wish he died in my arms, he died alone - but no, not alone, my bf says, "Silvio was there..it all happened so fast probably, that he didn't even see it coming..he just collapsed...and now I can't erase the pic from my head...him laying down on the flood, mouth and eyes wide opened....it was horror.."

Tomorrow morning we took him for an autopsy. The results said "unknown heart failure". I googled the symptoms of HCM and started to connect pieces....except for him being lethargic and sleeping a lot, also sometimes having a cough, I noticed this strange coldness on his back part of the body. Thought he was cold, so I put clothes on him, turned the heating on - no, it was not that. It started right after we got Silvio. So my thoughts are, he was sick from his birth and since he was inactive, nothing really happened but ever since Silvio arrived, they were constantly active and playing, his heart just couldn't take it.

I shared the results in a small local sphynx group on facebook, where members are the breeder and her friends and fellows who have her kittens. Her friends then attacked me saying that I have no real proof that he died from HCM, that I googled it and that it's not valid., that her cats are healthy and that I was a bad owner - I posted a story of our vacation how Teenoo was hot and so I put moistened cloth on him to make him feel better and they turned it all upside down, turned out as if I almost killed the poor guy for he was travelling in a car on such hot day...nevermind that. I went with autopsy results to see other vets, since mine was not able to tell me anything. One did say it was HCM, other said it was not. His heart was 7-8mm thick, I do not know what are the standards for discovering HCM. They also found changes on his lungs and liver. But whatever, it does not matter now. :(

My bf was feeling horrible for 3 more weeks, remembering him and crying...I was more in a state of shock and I focused on Silvio, who was crying and searching for Teenoo :( Somehow I transformed my sadness into a huge love towards Silvio, his younger brother....with whom I connected deepy and now I have huge worries - what if he too gets HCM? I did alert the breeder and she said she will check on her cats as well but it does not matter...there can be only carrier cats, right, they do not have to be sick in order to genetically transmit hcm onto their offspring..

A couple pics of my sweet baby to remember him...I will forever love you and you will always be in my heart, dear Teenoo-neenoo
 

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Robin Matsumoto

Lairian
Joined
Aug 5, 2016
Messages
144
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81
Reading this makes me very sad. You did everything you could for your baby and you are a loving cat mom. Please don't beat yourself up. I'm glad to read you have another cat to love and dote on. Thank you for sharing this story of your precious baby. I cannot imagine the pain you went thru, as I have two hairless babies of my own and enjoy every precious moment with them for as long as I can.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

sphynxmoms

V.I.P Lairian
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@Izidora I'm so sorry for your loss and sadness. ((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))) to you! I'm glad you still have Silvio to love! Teeno knew love with you and your BF....take comfort in that! Until you see him again at the Rainbow Bridge!
 

Izidora

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Feb 9, 2017
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I blamed myself later for I took a kitten from byb..not one but two. But as I understand, hcm can affect any cat, even hcm scanned and pedigree ones, only the risk is smaller as you know who their parents-grandparents etc. are so you can remove those who are hcm affected and create a healthier cat family.
But if I didn't took him, I would never know the love and happiness he gave me..
 

Toa and Ross

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@Izidora your story about Teenoo touched my heart. I'm so sorry you had to loose him. It must have been horrible to loose him so all of the sudden. Teenoo was a handsome and adorable boy. I love the expression on his face. So sweet!
And speey you had to deal with the reaction of the breeder and friends. Never nblame yourself for getting Teenoo and Silvio of this breeder. Thanks to you Teenoo felt unconditional love all his life.

Big hugs,

Natasja
 

Izidora

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Thank you all for the support:kiss: It is hard to transform feelings into words, so this is the best I could do.
We have a new member of our family, Joshira, but she is still learning to trust us and we are learning to love her :) It cannot happen over night. It has been 2 months she's with us and she's doing better, also getting along with Silvio better than in the beginning (she hated him for some reason, which only broke my heart even more)...now there's a shy game between them and shy groomings, but it's getting better :) I know they may never be as close as the two brothers were, but I am thankful ^_^
 

Izidora

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Feb 9, 2017
Messages
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This is VERY TRUE! We too got ours as rescues and although we went through a lot of health issues...I would not have given them up for a million dollars!!! The love is IMMEASURABLE!!!!!

Yes, exactly...I have lots of issuses with Silvio's health (eyes - I have a thread on that in the Health section) and the vet bills have now probably leveled up his initial price with the original sphynx price but I don't mind. The happiness I had from Teenoo and that I have now with Silvio is just priceless. ^_^
 

Izidora

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Feb 9, 2017
Messages
104
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46
@Izidora your story about Teenoo touched my heart. I'm so sorry you had to loose him. It must have been horrible to loose him so all of the sudden.

Of course...I was aware of HCM at that time, I did my research, but I did not expect it to hapen that early :( he was only 1 year 4 months old...and the stupid wishes..."I wish I was at home", "I wish he died in my arms", "I wish I didn't take a kitten from BYB"....so many stupid things go through your head....and then later just realize love is the only thing that matters.

What I did not mention in the first post is that this byb actually put together canadian sphynx and donskoy sphynx, what I later discovered should not be done - people in sphynx groups on facebook told me it's forbidden to mix the two breeds. As I understand, donskoy does not have HCM issue while canadian sphynx has - so she accidentally "ruined" the donskoy breed and mixed it with canadians, brought HCM into their line...however, the father is neutered, mom will soon be as well. So no more cats from her. As I learned to know her, I realized she is not a bad person. She was just uneducated on the breeds and probably wanted kittens, money and also other people to be happy, but that just does not come all together :(

However, I am only worried about all the kittens in new homes and about stupid people who may have no knowledge and an idea to breed and sell cats that are already a mix of two breeds. All kittens had fur because of donskoy's gene - i think it is the recessive one, they also come with coat. So now to breed and mix a mixture, I don't know how well can all that go..
 

Yoda mom

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@Izidora , oh sweetie , teary eyed reading your heartfelt tribute to your friend Teeno-neeno .
thank you for sharing your precious photos . Your lair family truly understands.

Sending you and yours the (((biggest hug )) that I wish could ease such pain of your sudden loss.
He only knew your love ...
Treasure the fondest of times of the love and happiness he shared with you.
He would want it that way.

When I have those days , I recall the quote "there is no death, only a change of worlds"-
The bridge world where I have no doubt my Yoda cat is with Teeeno Neeno and the other bridge kids flying free , high, pain free sharing stories of all they love they knew in this world.

(((Hugs and head smooches ))))

I still cry too
and treasure each golden while
 

Izidora

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Gah and I remembered now...how we used to say he's got a little grey beard and little white slippers:cry::cry::cry:
 

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MaoSphynx

V.I.P Lairian
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That's the same way with Mr.Mao.We neutered him three weeks ago.He was then transferred from chicken and fish to Purina Kitten Chow to Purina Friskies.3-4 days later he stopped eating and drinking.We took him to the vet.He prescribed three syrups: Catafly (2 ml every 8 hrs),Augmentine (2 ml every 12 hrs) and Flagyl (2 ml every 8hrs).We also gave him yogurt with honey every 4 hours(4 ml),and water through a syringe.He became skinnier every day.Then we left him at the clinic for three more days.They made a surgery,and he was diagnosed with kidney stones and a virus that was unnamed.He did not get better.At the end of three days he died.:(
 
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