heliocentric's Journal: 3 Updates: 2 Sad (both pets), 1 Weekend

First, the good stuff. I'm going to be at the TCF computer show on saturday. If any of you are going and want to meet up, let me know.

Second, the bad stuff. Stop reading now if you don't like hearing sad tales about pets. This will go progressively worse as you read on.

First, my cat, Cheeise. He has a terrible eye infection/ulcer thing. He had surgery early last week and has his third eye-lid sewn shut, along with a rubber band. Looked really sad initially, but he plays really well and seems of good spirits. I'll post pictures one of these days. Maybe tonight. We'll know Tuesday how things went. At best the ulcer will leave a cloud on his cornea, at worst he could lose the eye.

Second. The cat I grew up with for like half my life is near death. She weighs about 1 pound, 2 at most. You can feel her bones and hear her walk. I think she may have weeks at most, days at least. She eats and drinks. She does her duty in the box. But can't hop up or down and the crack of her front legs when she tries to hug me is quite upsetting.

I'm with my parents for the weekend and I'm taking tons of digital pictures. I know this is going to be really tough when I leave. I hate goodbyes.

She doesn't act like she is in pain. She has always wanted to be held and loved and I'm going to be sure to help her, but it still isn't fun at all.

UPDATE

Here is a picture of Chessie post-op with his eye funky-ness.

Here is a picture of me soon after I got to my parents house today and found the cat couldn't get up and walk over and greet me. She always runs to me as soon as she sees me and begs to be held. Here she is again on my lap looking at me. Sort of has a sad blank stare now. Pretty blue eyes are still the same.

Condolences

[Ethelred Unraed]

Really sorry about your cats, especially the older one.

I remember when my parents had to have my cat Puff put to sleep after her liver failed (this was after I went to Germany). I bawled my eyes out...

In fact, I got Cleo-Kitty largely out of missing Puff so badly (Puff was also a long-haired white cat, although she had a rather different build). Though Cleo has of course turned out to be a rather different cat in her personality, but hey.

I also had to think of my godmother's cat, Thai -- a really over

Re:Condolences

[heliocentric]

My parents other cat, Pieces*, is the mean one. Exact same age as the sick one, only she weighs a good 20 pounds. That's 20 pounds of hate, hiss, and bite. She is, sadly, happy and quite alive. I know it seems cruel and all, but if I could trade one for the other I surely would.

We call the fat one Lumpy.

* - Pieces is short of "Pieces of Eight." Pirate reference that I'm in no mood to explain.

Sorry to hear about your cats

[insanecarbonbasedlif]

I know what it's like - I have had to bury two of the three cats that I grew up with. The first one my brother buried, and I can't seem to recall how she died. The second one just stopped eating, and then died two weeks later. The third one (The one who always snuck out, and was gray, and so my mom thought would be roadkill at a young age, but he outlived the other two) died this last year of old age.

Though, on the topic of buryings, I've got to say the worst was when I was house-sitting for some friends w

Re:Sorry to hear about your cats

[heliocentric]

The two cats my parents had when I was born have both passed. First one, inky, black manx, had a minor stroke while passing a lamp cord and strangled herself. Very sad.

Other cat, satie, siamese, died on the same day as my grandfather - saint patricks day. She had been going, had to wear a diper, hadn't been eating. Unfortunitly I was of an age where it was thought I really shouldn't be told how sicke she or my grandfather were so the combination of unexpected deaths for me was very traumatic, and thus

poor kitties

[claudia]

I just had a conversation with my kitty, Collanera, and asked her to send good kitty vibes, AKA catloaves, to Chessie and the older cat (what is her name)?

Chessie looks amazingly resilient and otherwise completely healthy, though slightly bizarre, and I'm sure will come through this fine.

As for Older Cat, what is wrong (sorry if I may have missed the earlier story)? Keep in mind that, for the most part, cats really don't show pain. Since they are predators they know that showing they are weak might lead

Re:poor kitties

[heliocentric]

The sick cat is Jasmine.

She's just old. She's had issues with eating. She only eats dry food and she often barfs it up again. Been this way all her life. She's 18 and as well all know, that's quite old for a cat.

She loves me. To not sound too weird, but I'm her catnip of life. Whenver she sees me she would run and insist I hold her. Now she just cries and lays.

My parents don't want to do the vet thing, they just want to let her pass as they feel (and I mostly agree) that she isn't in pain, and we

Re:poor kitties

[KshGoddess]

My aunt's oldest cat, Molly, is about that old, and fading as well. The weirest thing is that she (the cat) hs started to regress, and has stopped being a mean bitchy cat (which she's been her whole life) to become a sweet kitten-like cat.

I don't know what I'd do if my two were sick; I just hope I can do the right thing when the time comes.

Good thoughts for your sick kitties.

Re:poor kitties

[claudia]

Here's something you can try if she's having problems eating. It sounds weird, but for some reason, it works. When she's all comfy on your lap, put some food in your hand and let her nibble from that. It's more calming to them when they don't feel well. She might be able to keep down a few bites of wet food too if you can deal with it on your fingers. Some cats tend to eat dry food too rapidly, and if they don't drink enough water, they'll throw it up. Does the vomit look foamy or is it chunky dried food o

Re:poor kitties

[Ethelred Unraed]

To not sound too weird, but I'm her catnip of life.

Hey, I know exactly how that is. Cleo actually goes nuts for anything that smells like me -- especially (and here comes the gross part) my undies.

WARNING! Gross story ahead.

When I take a shower, I usually just take off the T-shirt and undies I was wearing and drop them next to the tub onto the floor. Quite often when I come out of the shower, Cleo is lying there rolling back and forth on the undies and/or shirt, rubbing her nose into them, purring ma

If I had known....

[curtisk]

I was up in New Jersey this weekend visiting family and if I had known about the TCF I would've met up. I was staying about 5 minutes from there in Fords!

Sorry about the cats, I personally don't like cats, but I know alot of people who love them and my sister in law went through alot with their cats (feline AIDS, diabetes, old age etc.) it was rough, so I hear where you are coming from...

Re:If I had known....

[heliocentric]

Wow, to think we were so close, and yet so far. I go to the TCF thing every year. Even this year when we had no plans to buy anything, it is just tradition for us. It is always the first weekend in May. Maybe next year you'll be in town again, too.

sorry about your kitties

[Em Emalb]

(I just now saw the JE)

Sorry man. It's gonna be really tough when my two kitties go. :(