just a cat

Yes, we are all so sorry to hear that.

Keith Tanner said:

In reply to jimbob_racing :

Sorry to hear that. 20 years is a good run, but it's never long enough.

Thanks Keith.

She's been such a healthy cat that I kinda hoped that she would live forever. 

So this is shaping up to be one of the worst weeks of my life. I have had the unpleasant opportunity to watch my tiny, nearly 20 year old cat Rosie become weaker, frail and uncomfortable. 

If there is a hell, it surely involves seeing a cherished and loved pet decline to the point where you have to evaluate their quality of life and dignity hour by hour. There is no pain quite like realizing that there will be no recovery and that the final visit the the veterinarians office needs to be scheduled. 

When my exwife brought home Rosie 19 years ago, I never thought that she would accompany me on so many journeys. She has seen more than half of my adult life, even though I'm still far from adult material. Rosie has been very resilient and has enjoyed several homes as I've moved from place to place over the years. The last move to Beaver Falls and the addition of my new wife, Lynda and her three other cats and a dog was difficult for her at first but she adjusted and Rosie will always be my adoring little kitty. I will really miss her snuggling into my lap for a long nap, random purrs faintly audible.

When she passes tomorrow, our house will be extremely empty, with just one of Lynda's cats remaining from our menagerie. The last few years have been extremely difficult for me as we've said goodbye to so many of our faithful companions. Each episode has taken a small piece of my heart and I have been struggling for a while now. 

But I always remember that I have been very fortunate to have had so many wonderful companions that have unconditionally loved me as much as I have loved them. I proudly wear the title of cat whisperer on my sleeve and hope that they all understood how important they were in my life and how much I miss every one of them, every single day.

In reply to jimbob_racing :

I'm so sorry for you about this, but glad you were able to take care of Rosie and have her in your life for so long.

Just went through this myself, 16 years with a kitty we got from a rest area off I12 in Hammond,LA. you think that would be one mean cat, but no sweetest cat ever. Eventually had   Kidney failure, the cat got real skinny. With a bunch of people dying off the last few years the cat was still the toughest gut punch. So, my heart goes out to all who lost a pet recently. With people sometimes its also a sad relief (FIL dementia and all the drama, etc)  

  Today I picked up one from a local rescue 4 months old, the cycle begins again...

A new feral cat showed up a couple weeks ago at the food bowl. I just spotted kittens in the brush nearby as I brought out food. Leaving them alone for now. Wish I trapped and neutered/spayed more, but I'm sure there's plenty around town whatever I do. I'm guessing 4 weeks old and I've identified three. Not sure how long they'll survive here. Still mulling over what to do if anything and tenatively asking around if anyone local wants a kitten.

Momma?

White face

Up hill to the right of the others.

Bluest eyes.

In reply to AAZCD-Jon (Forum Supporter) :

Pretty darn cute. 

In reply to VolvoHeretic :

That's for sure. 

I bought kitten food and goat's milk. They stalked the bowl after I moved away, then started eating. Momma showed up a little later.

Meanwhile at home Miso pokes Skippy and Skippy chews on Miso.

My beloved Aussie is starting to loose control of his poop. He's had 12 good years, and an inoperable growth on his liver. What really sucks is that he still loves life, even though he's practically deaf and his eyesight is fading as well. I've had a bunch of cats and dogs, but never before has one been so happy, even in his final days. It's hard to imagine putting down a happy animal. Usually it's been when their quality of life is such that its a mercy killing. OTOH doggy diapers sounds positively horrendous.

I've been visiting the kittens several times a day with food and goat's milk. There are actually five. They let me get close enough that I could pick one up. One of them is going to be adopted by friends in a week or two. Planning to grab one and take it the vet on Monday to have a mild eye infection checked.

Unintended consequences. I should have known that if I disturbed the nest of wild kittens too much, the mother would feel threatened and move them. She did and I have a kitten with me at work tonight.
I grabbed the kitten with the infected eye and cleaned it with saline solution.

When I returned to the cat's den 20 minutes later they were all gone. Now I have a kitten to care for. At least it's partially weaned and already uses a litter box. Tomorrow morning she goes to the vet for a check-up.
I'm still hoping the mother cat will move back if I leave the area alone.

Snuggled into the rabbit pelt that Mrs AAZCD put in the pet carrier. I'm keeping her with me at the office tonight so we can isolate her from our pets until the vet checks her.

Awake and hungry. Chewing the nipple enough to bite through. Momma wouldn't like that.

Tonight as she falls asleep on my shoulder purring, its over. We are her family now. Her name is Scout.

Scout being cute. Miso thinking, "Come one step closer and I'll show you cute."

Scout has settled in and plays well with her big sister Miso. The dogs let her get away with anything.

The Black-White cat I trapped and took to the vet a couple months ago is doing well and lets me know when the food bowl is empty. Momma cat was around a few days ago, but is quite hard to see or get close to. No sign of kittens.

Full zoom on my cell phone camera:

Dammit... More kittens.

I had a head-mounted light on after finishing work on a car in my driveway at dusk. I kept it on when I went to put food out for the wild cats. It had never occurred to me how easy it is to see cats in the dark when you have a flashlight. Five or six sets of glowing eyes all spaced at least 30 yards apart. To the left of the stone steps, more than two eyes together... I slowly walked up trying not to spook the eyes. The white cat with a black tail guarding a den with at least three kittens. After the discovery I moved off quickly, not wanting to inspire the mother to move her den.

There are already too many ferals here and I do not want to take in more pets. I'm contacting a few people to see if they will adopt a kitten *if* I can grab them tomorrow. I may get a dog crate from my daughter tomorrow as a short term holding pen.

Edit:

Contacted a local Facebook group and now keeping my distance unless someone will give them a home.

Did what I could. I tried to trap the mom cat and two kittens with the intent of having the mother cat spayed and get homes for the kittens.

Trapping didn't work. I eventually waded through the poison ivy and managed to grab a kitten. The other one was deep in the den, invisible and out of reach. Good enough. 

A trip to the vet for a check-up and handed over to her new family.

I've done what I can for kittens this year.  Going to keep at the neuter and spay as I get time and opportunity.

Post-op injured toddler picture of Goblin after coming home from vet college.

Surgery was Monday for two broken legs, she's already able to move from bed to litter box and back in kennel, and appetite is good. She's a tough little nut. 
 

She does have a noisemaker in her that goes to eleven though-- she let that out when th resident picked her up and she thought she was going to have to go back to ICU instead of home with me.

Or at least that's my anthropomorphism of the situation and I'm sticking with it. 
 

In reply to Karacticus :

Poor little thing.

Goblin is improving. She's going to be a terror to keep on restricted activity. 
 

No pants day when you're a cat. 
 

I feel bad for her but I laughed at no pants day 

nice foot boots ......how old is she?

In reply to 759NRNG :

Just over 15 months. 

My wife and I are heartbroken that we had to say goodbye tonight to our last cat, Shaybe. This month marked her 18th birthday and it was a sudden and unexpected issue. This is the fist time in almost 30 years that I don't have any cats in my home and it's hard to describe how empty the house feels.