My darling boy Pippin passed away yesterday. He was a beautiful silver tabby with golden eyes. His fur was soft and downy. He was tall and athletic and had a huge personality. He loved jumping to the top of the bathroom door and looking down at me when I was showering. He would race me upstairs. I would ask him to show me his flirty tail and he's flick it, just out of reach.
He loved Simple and Morris and could often be seen grooming and playing with them. He was the foster father to my little foster kitten, Smeagol, when he was so tiny and delicate. He loved to groom him and cuddle him and played with him so gently with his big soft paws. When his brother, Merry, died, he was sad. They were so close and loving. He was a little more timid when Merry didn't come home one day.
When I brought them home, Pippin and Merry were sickly. They both had ringworm, conjuctivitis, fleas, diarhea. While nursing them back to health, we bonded so strongly. They were both kneaders and sucklers, but only with me. Almost everynight, one or both wanted to come to me for cuddles. Pippin stood stoicly by while Merry was sick. Merry pass on Dec 26, 2004, just a little over a year old.
Pippin first got ill when he ingested thread. After a traumatic surgery, he fought back and got well. He was so brave! His incision was the entire length of his abdomen and yet he still wanted to run and play. I thought it would be the last time I had to see him so injured.
Last September, he started having problems with constipation and then a UTI. He recovered from that and was spunky and well again, and then in the spring he started having urinary problems again. This progressed quickly. He had a PU in late April and I thought he would be OK. I was wrong. This past Monday he blocked again. Almost unheard of in a cat with a PU. We thought it was urethral spasms. They drained his bladder and put him on anti-spasmodics and I took him home Monday night to keep him under observation.
He was so sweet and loving that night. We had lots of cuddles and love. He was always so snuggly, even when he was sick. He would roll on his back so I could rub his sore tummy.
He went back to the vet on Tuesday and stayed Wednesday. The vets were perplexed. They tried to catheterize him many times. It wouldn't work. On Thursday they told me they didn't know what to do and set up an appointment to have a ultrasound on Friday morning.
My roommate visited with him for about an hour at the vet. He was jumping around, being silly, giving us headbumps and kisses. Flirting his tail.
I took him home again on Thursday night. It was our last night together. We had a good night.
There was lots of love. He slept with me the whole time. I begged him not to die. I told him I loved him. He gave me kisses and gazed in my eyes. He woke me up many times to cuddle. He pushed his wet nose in my mouth. He always did that to make me wake up and kiss him.
He bravely tried to pee for me Friday morning before we left for the vet. He got out a few dribbled and I was so happy. I had hope for him again.
The vet called to tell me about the ultrasound. It was not good news. Pippin's urethra was blocked, it looked like he had a stricture of scar tissue. We opted to try to dissect out enough of the scar tissue to let him pee freely. The damage was too severe and he passed away on the table. I got the call and it was bad news again. Always bad news. This was the worst news.
My baby was gone. After everything we tried, he was gone. He's never coming home again. He'll never knock things off my dresser again. He'll never follow me in the kitchen and sit on the fridge again. He'll never wrap his paws around my neck, nuzzle against my cheek and purr only for me.
I miss him so much. I want to look up and see him on the entertainment stand, one paw hanging over, blinking sleepily at me. Waiting for me to come and kiss his head.
I saw him after he had passed. I got to kiss him goodbye. He looked like he was sleeping, but he was cold. I long for the day when I can see him at the bridge. I know he's there with Merry now and they are both healthy and happy and waiting for me.
Part of me is relieved to be free of the worry and expense and fear for him. Part of me would gladly take on those things for the chance to hold him again.
Thank you for reading Pippin's story. His death was not in vain. The vet will learn from him and perhaps save other cats just like him. He was only 4 years old and he was my soul mate.
I love you Pippin.
Visit me in my dreams.
Devlyn
He loved Simple and Morris and could often be seen grooming and playing with them. He was the foster father to my little foster kitten, Smeagol, when he was so tiny and delicate. He loved to groom him and cuddle him and played with him so gently with his big soft paws. When his brother, Merry, died, he was sad. They were so close and loving. He was a little more timid when Merry didn't come home one day.
When I brought them home, Pippin and Merry were sickly. They both had ringworm, conjuctivitis, fleas, diarhea. While nursing them back to health, we bonded so strongly. They were both kneaders and sucklers, but only with me. Almost everynight, one or both wanted to come to me for cuddles. Pippin stood stoicly by while Merry was sick. Merry pass on Dec 26, 2004, just a little over a year old.
Pippin first got ill when he ingested thread. After a traumatic surgery, he fought back and got well. He was so brave! His incision was the entire length of his abdomen and yet he still wanted to run and play. I thought it would be the last time I had to see him so injured.
Last September, he started having problems with constipation and then a UTI. He recovered from that and was spunky and well again, and then in the spring he started having urinary problems again. This progressed quickly. He had a PU in late April and I thought he would be OK. I was wrong. This past Monday he blocked again. Almost unheard of in a cat with a PU. We thought it was urethral spasms. They drained his bladder and put him on anti-spasmodics and I took him home Monday night to keep him under observation.
He was so sweet and loving that night. We had lots of cuddles and love. He was always so snuggly, even when he was sick. He would roll on his back so I could rub his sore tummy.
He went back to the vet on Tuesday and stayed Wednesday. The vets were perplexed. They tried to catheterize him many times. It wouldn't work. On Thursday they told me they didn't know what to do and set up an appointment to have a ultrasound on Friday morning.
My roommate visited with him for about an hour at the vet. He was jumping around, being silly, giving us headbumps and kisses. Flirting his tail.
I took him home again on Thursday night. It was our last night together. We had a good night.
There was lots of love. He slept with me the whole time. I begged him not to die. I told him I loved him. He gave me kisses and gazed in my eyes. He woke me up many times to cuddle. He pushed his wet nose in my mouth. He always did that to make me wake up and kiss him.
He bravely tried to pee for me Friday morning before we left for the vet. He got out a few dribbled and I was so happy. I had hope for him again.
The vet called to tell me about the ultrasound. It was not good news. Pippin's urethra was blocked, it looked like he had a stricture of scar tissue. We opted to try to dissect out enough of the scar tissue to let him pee freely. The damage was too severe and he passed away on the table. I got the call and it was bad news again. Always bad news. This was the worst news.
My baby was gone. After everything we tried, he was gone. He's never coming home again. He'll never knock things off my dresser again. He'll never follow me in the kitchen and sit on the fridge again. He'll never wrap his paws around my neck, nuzzle against my cheek and purr only for me.
I miss him so much. I want to look up and see him on the entertainment stand, one paw hanging over, blinking sleepily at me. Waiting for me to come and kiss his head.
I saw him after he had passed. I got to kiss him goodbye. He looked like he was sleeping, but he was cold. I long for the day when I can see him at the bridge. I know he's there with Merry now and they are both healthy and happy and waiting for me.
Part of me is relieved to be free of the worry and expense and fear for him. Part of me would gladly take on those things for the chance to hold him again.
Thank you for reading Pippin's story. His death was not in vain. The vet will learn from him and perhaps save other cats just like him. He was only 4 years old and he was my soul mate.
I love you Pippin.
Devlyn
