- Joined
- Feb 19, 2001
- Messages
- 34,872
- Purraise
- 77
The minute the tiny, flea-ridden orange ball of fluff was placed in my hands, there was an instant connection. One of her polydactyl paws tentatively reached out and tapped my arm as if to say; “would you pay attention to me?†Several fleas jumped on my arms (souvineersof her neglected state).
I lifted her up and raised her to my face, kissing her nose and told her she would be okay now. Then, I rushed this just weeks old kitten to the vet where she was treated for anemia, dehydration, ear mites and parasites.
From the beginning there was something different about this orange slice of life. She was accepting of the whole crew and as she grew, she became my gatekeeper. She would be the first to mother the orphaned kittens that came here, the first to put her paw around a scared new arrival and the first to stand up to my alpha males, telling them in her own intermittent style that she wasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t going to take their nonsense.
Her extra toes allowed her the luxury of being in places other cats couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t get to. She would open up the lower kitchen cupboards and climb inside my Tupperware salad bowl and sleep. I named her Prowler because at any given time, she could be found in the strangest places, exploring her territory and claiming it as her own.
At night, or early in the morning, she would climb into my lap and headbump me as I tried to drink my customary cup of coffee. I learned after several hot splashes, to limit the amount of the hot liquid I put in the cup, I never limited her headbumps. I treasured them.
And so she became my lap partner, my bed buddy. Her furriness would snuggle against my chest and she would sleep as I read or watched televison.
In Feb of 07 she came down so ill. She was unable to eat, would gulp repeatedly, would sit bent over the food bowl but be unable to swallow. She had a high fever, she was severely dehydrated and she stopped peeing all in the matter of 24 hours. I rushed her to the vet where she was put on IVâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s, they put a catheter inside of her, but she was bone dry. There wasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t even enough urine to spin.
And so it went for eight long months with her having good days and then what I would come to call her Crash Days. She had FLUTD that was resistant to drugs, persistent in nature and she was put on pain management and a special diet.
Early this week she crashed again, and this crash was hard. Accustomed to her litter pan accidents, at first I just thought it was another episode of spasms, but as the days passed, her urine turned more bloody- drops left all over the house. She had been to the vet so many times, had so many tests and I had no answers. I had suspicions since I have (had) two other cats victim of pet food contamination, but she got ill long before the recall.
This morning she passed away. She is now prowling with the angels and I know they are as delighted to have her, as I am devastated that she is gone. The cats know she is gone as well. Her buddy Everest has been inconsolable since we laid her to rest in the woods behind our home. His cries for her break my heart and I tried to tell him she is at peace now, and would want him to be glad for her that she no longer feels pain.
I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t know if there will be another Prowler in my home, for she was one of a kind and I will miss her forever.
I lifted her up and raised her to my face, kissing her nose and told her she would be okay now. Then, I rushed this just weeks old kitten to the vet where she was treated for anemia, dehydration, ear mites and parasites.
From the beginning there was something different about this orange slice of life. She was accepting of the whole crew and as she grew, she became my gatekeeper. She would be the first to mother the orphaned kittens that came here, the first to put her paw around a scared new arrival and the first to stand up to my alpha males, telling them in her own intermittent style that she wasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t going to take their nonsense.
Her extra toes allowed her the luxury of being in places other cats couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t get to. She would open up the lower kitchen cupboards and climb inside my Tupperware salad bowl and sleep. I named her Prowler because at any given time, she could be found in the strangest places, exploring her territory and claiming it as her own.
At night, or early in the morning, she would climb into my lap and headbump me as I tried to drink my customary cup of coffee. I learned after several hot splashes, to limit the amount of the hot liquid I put in the cup, I never limited her headbumps. I treasured them.
And so she became my lap partner, my bed buddy. Her furriness would snuggle against my chest and she would sleep as I read or watched televison.
In Feb of 07 she came down so ill. She was unable to eat, would gulp repeatedly, would sit bent over the food bowl but be unable to swallow. She had a high fever, she was severely dehydrated and she stopped peeing all in the matter of 24 hours. I rushed her to the vet where she was put on IVâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s, they put a catheter inside of her, but she was bone dry. There wasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t even enough urine to spin.
And so it went for eight long months with her having good days and then what I would come to call her Crash Days. She had FLUTD that was resistant to drugs, persistent in nature and she was put on pain management and a special diet.
Early this week she crashed again, and this crash was hard. Accustomed to her litter pan accidents, at first I just thought it was another episode of spasms, but as the days passed, her urine turned more bloody- drops left all over the house. She had been to the vet so many times, had so many tests and I had no answers. I had suspicions since I have (had) two other cats victim of pet food contamination, but she got ill long before the recall.
This morning she passed away. She is now prowling with the angels and I know they are as delighted to have her, as I am devastated that she is gone. The cats know she is gone as well. Her buddy Everest has been inconsolable since we laid her to rest in the woods behind our home. His cries for her break my heart and I tried to tell him she is at peace now, and would want him to be glad for her that she no longer feels pain.
I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t know if there will be another Prowler in my home, for she was one of a kind and I will miss her forever.
