Hunter

[Catherine's Aunt]

A little over a week ago, I had to have my much-loved cat Annabel put to sleep. She had been in kidney failure for 1 year, 11 months, and 1 day. During that time, she and I both endured injecting her with daily IV fluids.

The day she died, I noticed she was a little off that morning, she didn't sit on the edge of the tub while I took my shower like she normally did. When I gave her her fluids that night, about halfway through, she was gasping for breath, so I stopped. Normally, she would run full-speed, but that night, she took 2 steps and lay down. It took her about 15 minutes to make it about 10 cat steps to the hallway. I called the vet, they said to bring her in, then I called my mother, who agreed to go with me, and we went.

Two weeks before, my dad had taken off of work to go with me to the vet because I thought Annabel was breathing too fast and was about to die. The vet couldn't find anything wrong at that point. I wish I had insisted on bloodwork, because 2 weeks later, Annabel was anemic and in heart failure. They could have tried a blood transfusion, but the chances were good that Annabel would die during the night in a cage at the vet office, alone. I couldn't let that happen, so I opted to have her put to sleep that night. I held her and she stopped breathing halfway through the first injection. At least she died peacefully in my arms and not in a cage alone.

I had her cremated and Annabel's ashes are now under my bed in the exact spot where she spent most of her last 2 weeks. Her sister, Clara, doesn't seem to miss her, although she does NOT like being near the box of ashes.

I miss Annabel, but I am looking forward to being chosen by my next two kittens (with my niece's help, who LOVED Annabel and doesn't seem to understand that she's gone). I will be visiting my uncle in Texas for most of July, but when I get back, I think I might be ready to be chosen by my next two kittens (because they always choose us, we don't choose them).
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[9Catsz]

I'm so sad for your loss. How old was Annabel?

My oldest cat, Kestra, is 14 and her only son, Mike, is 13. Those are my babies. So far they're healthy but they are getting up there in age.
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Maybe it's not too late to learn how to love and forget how to hate. . . .

[Catherine's Aunt]

[Lisa]

I'm sorry for your loss. Our pets can really become part of the family.

[Catherine's Aunt]

[Kimmer]

I'm sorry to hear about Annabel. I know how it feels. When my kitty, Poopy Doo, had to be put to sleep, I couldn't go. I said my goodbyes at home, hugged her and kissed her, and my Dad took her to the vet. She was 18 years old, so she definitely lived a good long life.

It's always hard getting over the loss of a beloved pet, but it will be exciting having new babies around.

Kim
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I Want To Believe

[Catherine's Aunt]

I was home from Texas exactly 2 days before I got 2 new kittens, Lucy and Phoebe. Lucy has been sick, first with a respiratory infection (10 days of antibiotics for that), then she was diagnosed with Bartonella (20 days of antibiotics for that). We just finished her last antibiotic dose last night. Clara hated them at first, but she's getting used to them and now we're all sleeping in the same bed together. Clara doesn't bother them as long as they're not attacking her tail or trying to eat her food.

I'm going to try to put in some pictures. Lucy is black and white and Phoebe is a tabby.










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Sorry they're so big, I can't remember how to fix that.
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[9Catsz]

Awwww, they are soooo cute. Makes me want a kitten.
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Maybe it's not too late to learn how to love and forget how to hate. . . .

[Catherine's Aunt]

They are adorable. Lucy had a respiratory infection which required 10 days of antibiotics and then was diagnosed with Bartonella (the cat scratch fever virus), which required 20 more days of antibiotics which we just finished this past week. That weird hairless circle around her eye in the pictures is due to Bartonella and is gone now. The kittens are getting bigger and getting into more stuff (like toilet paper), but I know this chew-on-everything phase will pass soon enough. I want them to be used to kids and adults and all sorts of people, so I'm trying to get my niece over here to play with them as much as possible but it's getting harder now that I'm back at work and she's in school 3 days a week.
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[Lisa]

What cute kittens!
That is so good of you to have gotten them together. They look very bonded to each other. Are they litter mates? Getting the kittens together was smart so they won't bug your older cat (so much).
The black and white one looks a lot like one of ours.

[Catherine's Aunt]

For some reason, I just noticed this thread tonight and wanted to update everyone. Annabel's sister, Clarabel, had to be put to sleep on May 1, 2009. She had been losing weight for a while, but I had her on diet food, so I didn't think too much about it until I picked her up one day and she weighed almost nothing (she hated to be picked up, so I rarely did it). She was breathing pretty fast, so I took her to the vet, they did x-rays, and their best guess was that she had a mass that was pushing on her esophagus which was most likely cancer. They suggested I drive her 100 miles to the nearest vet school for more tests, but at that point, I felt she was just too sick and the chances of anyone being able to comfortably prolong the life of a 13 year old cat with cancer was slim to none. I spent so much money on Annabel, I just couldn't do it (or go through all of that) with Clara. Clara was put to sleep while resting in my lap. Her passing was as peaceful as Annabel's and only took a few seconds longer. Her ashes and Annabel's ashes are together and I once again have a 2 cat household. Lucy and Phoebe looked for Clara for a few days, but they are happy with it being just the 3 of us now too. They are still into everything and I have actually had to ban them from my bedroom at night so I can get some sleep because Lucy especially loves to lick my face while I am sleeping! I think I am very lucky to have had 4 cats with very distinct and different personalities who have all loved me!
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