I have always had trouble being alone… so, not long after I moved out of my parents house my mom took me to go get a kitty so I wouldn’t have to be by myself.
So, we were at the humane society, and I saw one little kitty that was almost 5, the only one not right against the cage door begging for attention. I asked to hold her, and for about half an hour carried her around as I looked at all the kitties trying to decide which one I wanted. I wanted a younger one, closer to a kitten, but they didn’t have any. After that half hour it dawned on me, I have been holding this kitty for half an hour!
At that moment I knew she was the one for me. I had to wait to get her until after she was fixed, but once I brought her home we were like two peas in a pod.
A couple months later I met her daddy, and she definitely approved. 🙂
It’s been about 10 and a half years and she has always been my little baby. She’d follow me everywhere I went, and any time I wasn’t feeling well she’d lay in bed with me until I was better.
Before we moved to Illinois, the house we were renting was broken into. Ever since then, Josie had stopped using the litter box. We thought possibly she had been in the litterbox at the time of the break-in, which is quite possible.
A couple years ago we found out she had high blood pressure. She had started acting strange, like she couldn’t see, and sure enough had gone blind. The doctor gave her medicine and it actually re-attached her retinas and she could see again!
Several months ago we noticed she’d lost a lot of weight in a VERY short time. We took her to the doctor and found out she had a tumor about the diameter of a tennis ball in her liver. Being in the abdominal area, it is possible that her refusal to use the litter box was actually more of an inability to make it as far as the litter box, if the tumor was applying pressure on her bladder.
Surgery was an option, but we didn’t want to go through that for many reasons. First of all, anesthesia can kill humans so why not cats? Secondly she had blood pressure problems already and was refusing her medicine, so it was possible she wouldn’t even make it to the surgery. And finally, the surgery wasn’t a guarantee. Since she’d already lost a lot of weight it was almost certainly cancerous, and even if the tumor could be removed there was no guarantee it would make her life any better.
So, we decided against surgery and that we would enjoy the time we had left with her.
A few weeks ago we realized her tumor had grown to about the size of a salad plate. Her behavior was still good. Every morning before I could even make coffee she demanded treats. She was still wanting lots of love and affection. She was starting to have trouble jumping up on the couch or bed, and the size of the tumor and loss of weight were clearly taking a toll on her.
Yesterday morning she was still fine, but last night she took a turn for the worse. She had been laying next to me on the couch, she got up and jumped down. I looked around and noticed a dark spot on the carpet, she had peed. I went to find her in the kitchen and she was laying next to the litter box, in her pee. Dave helped clean her up, and we set her in the kitchen so she would be near the food and water.
This morning I went to find her and she was laying on one of our steps that head to the basement, laying in pee again. Dave helped get her cleaned up again, and we set her back in the kitchen. I went to a doctors appointment, and when I came back home she hadn’t moved. I wrapped her in a blanket and held her for about an hour. Her breathing was labored, and so I kept telling her it was ok, that she could go.
My stomach was growling, so I got up to make lunch, and also made sure to purchase her urn online. Once I was done cooking my mac & cheese, I sat on the couch and looked to my baby. Her breathing had changed, so I leaned close to check on her. My face was next to hers as she took her last breath.
RIP my baby Jo, mamma loves you forever and will miss you terribly!
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