Chip, one of our beloved cats had to be euthanized May 30th.
In November our cat Icarus was stolen while we were on vacation, we searched all over for him, posted fliers, checked the shelters, called the police to report it, tracked down the mother of the person we believe to have stolen him and pleaded for his return. For months, there was nothing. Just before Christmas my husband called me and said he was at a local pet store looking at cats and said he wanted to adopt a new cat, with the loss of Icarus it would both heal us and provide a loving home to a cat that needed and deserved one.
After searching several pet stores I came across Chip at an adoption site in a Pet Smart in El Cajon. Chip was a tiny, sluggish little guy with a snotty nose, but he was instantly loveable. The moment I picked him up he sniffed at my hair and my ear and sat content on my lap while I talked to the volunteer. It was instant, love at first site. That night Chris and I went by to see Chip, we could only look at him through the glass. Chip was lying there in his bed peering out the window at us. We were hesitant at first to adopt him knowing that he was sick and wondered what that would mean for us and him one day. The women at the shelter said his condition was chronic, but it was nothing more then a cold.
Finally came the day for my husband to meet Chip. While at the shelter my husband met Scott, Chipâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s companion. We decided to adopt them both. We went through the store and collected several comforts and treats for them. We picked up a cute little bed for them to sleep in (which did not last long, Scott decided it was just as good a place as any to use the bathroom), it worked out okay, because they both slept with us that night and they did not even hesitate to cuddle.
A few dayâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s later my husband and I had a conversation in which we both vowed to fight for Chip to get him healthy, we both agreed that he deserved the best loving home we could give him. Between December and now we took Chip to several vetâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s, had tests done, gave him prescription medications of many sorts, nothing of which cleared up his snotty nose. We did not mind mothering him, cleaning his nose when it got icky, sitting in the bathroom while he had a steam bath to clear up his congestion, all of it was for the greater good. What greater good is there then helping a devoted and loving pet to get better so that he can have the life he and all animals deserve.
Even though Chip was sick it never stopped him from wanting to be loved and wanting to love us. He was affectionate almost to the point of annoyance. We would always climb on to your lap; he loved to sniff my hair after I just got out of the shower. Chip never learned to control his claws which always posed a hazard for us, but we did not mind it too much, he was only trying to hold on tight. He loved to spontaneously throw his head around so that he could curl up into a little ball and lay in your arms.
Then the time came where we noticed that Chip was getting worse, his frail frame was getting even more small and fragile and his sickness getting worse. Still he was affectionate. We finally took him to an internal medicine specialist and had some more tests and blood work done, a few days later the vet called and said that it looks as though Chip had FIP. I had heard that acronym before and new it was a death sentence. The only question was when. The doctor also said he had a Staph infection. He said that what we wanted to do next was completely up to us. I told the doctor that if Chip does have only a short time to live I wanted to make that time for him the best we could and wanted to started the new antibiotics on him so we could hopefully get him more active then he was now.
We started Chip on antibiotics on May 26th. By Monday, he was no longer affectionate, he had stopped eating, and all he did was lie in his bed exhausted. We could at this point still pick him up for a few moments of cuddling time, but soon that became to exhausting. Friday, we decided to take him into the vet again, by now he could not even look at anyone or anything, all he could do is stare straight ahead. We knew at this point that we were watching our little baby die. We could tell that he was suffering. He lost 16% of his body weight in a little over a week and was down to 6 lbs and 4oz, picking him up was like picking up nothing.
I was actually supposed to go in that day to pick up Chipâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s second antibiotic and appetite stimulant (a first attempt before trying a feeding tube). Once the doctor saw him, we knew what he would say. Doctors know itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s not a decision for them to make, so we had to ask him. I asked the doctor that any decision that needed to be made had to be done void of any emotion, something we could not do ourselves. The doctor said if it was his pet he would euthanize him. The doctor said we could take Chip home for the weekend to say our goodbyes and I asked who exactly would that benefit, just us or him, does Chip know that he is dying? The vet said, Chip does not know he is dying and it would really only benefit us, I knew taking Chip home would only mean more suffering for him and us too. I did not want to watch Chip dying. The vet described Chip as a shadow of his former self. With that, we knew what needed to be done. At this point I could no longer hold back my emotions and began to sob. Chris followed quickly behind.
The doctor gave us some time alone with Chip and we just cried and held him in our arms, taking turns neither really wanting to let go. When I held Chip he reached his left paw around my shoulder and pulled his frail body close to mine, his head tucked under my chin. My husband kneeled next to us and Chip meowed. The little guy with what strength he had held on so tight. A few minutes later the nurse came in to take him to get a catheter put in to help the doctor administer the drug that would take Chip from us and to a better place. I told the nurse that Chip was so different from this morning just now, that he was being affectionate and aware and she said that they know what is happening and he is telling us its okay.
She brought Chip back wrapped up in a blanket and placed him in my arms, he laid his head against my chest and I put my chin on top of his head and he nuzzled me. A short time later the vet came in. My husband and I both held Chip in our arms. When the doctor put the needle in the catheter Chip leaned over and pressed against me and just like that he was gone.
These last few days have been so hard. All I can think about is how I want Chip back, I want to take back those last few moments and I want to run out that door and never look back. I want to hold my baby and tell him I will make everything better. I want to tell him that I am strong enough for the both of us and everything will be okay. Then I have to stop all of my selfish feelings and remind myself that I did do the strong thing for Chip, I let him go. That if loving anyone should be anything, it should be selfless.
Chip, rest in peace! We will always love you and miss you and will always remember how blessed we are that we were able to love and be loved by you.
In November our cat Icarus was stolen while we were on vacation, we searched all over for him, posted fliers, checked the shelters, called the police to report it, tracked down the mother of the person we believe to have stolen him and pleaded for his return. For months, there was nothing. Just before Christmas my husband called me and said he was at a local pet store looking at cats and said he wanted to adopt a new cat, with the loss of Icarus it would both heal us and provide a loving home to a cat that needed and deserved one.
After searching several pet stores I came across Chip at an adoption site in a Pet Smart in El Cajon. Chip was a tiny, sluggish little guy with a snotty nose, but he was instantly loveable. The moment I picked him up he sniffed at my hair and my ear and sat content on my lap while I talked to the volunteer. It was instant, love at first site. That night Chris and I went by to see Chip, we could only look at him through the glass. Chip was lying there in his bed peering out the window at us. We were hesitant at first to adopt him knowing that he was sick and wondered what that would mean for us and him one day. The women at the shelter said his condition was chronic, but it was nothing more then a cold.
Finally came the day for my husband to meet Chip. While at the shelter my husband met Scott, Chipâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s companion. We decided to adopt them both. We went through the store and collected several comforts and treats for them. We picked up a cute little bed for them to sleep in (which did not last long, Scott decided it was just as good a place as any to use the bathroom), it worked out okay, because they both slept with us that night and they did not even hesitate to cuddle.
A few dayâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s later my husband and I had a conversation in which we both vowed to fight for Chip to get him healthy, we both agreed that he deserved the best loving home we could give him. Between December and now we took Chip to several vetâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s, had tests done, gave him prescription medications of many sorts, nothing of which cleared up his snotty nose. We did not mind mothering him, cleaning his nose when it got icky, sitting in the bathroom while he had a steam bath to clear up his congestion, all of it was for the greater good. What greater good is there then helping a devoted and loving pet to get better so that he can have the life he and all animals deserve.
Even though Chip was sick it never stopped him from wanting to be loved and wanting to love us. He was affectionate almost to the point of annoyance. We would always climb on to your lap; he loved to sniff my hair after I just got out of the shower. Chip never learned to control his claws which always posed a hazard for us, but we did not mind it too much, he was only trying to hold on tight. He loved to spontaneously throw his head around so that he could curl up into a little ball and lay in your arms.
Then the time came where we noticed that Chip was getting worse, his frail frame was getting even more small and fragile and his sickness getting worse. Still he was affectionate. We finally took him to an internal medicine specialist and had some more tests and blood work done, a few days later the vet called and said that it looks as though Chip had FIP. I had heard that acronym before and new it was a death sentence. The only question was when. The doctor also said he had a Staph infection. He said that what we wanted to do next was completely up to us. I told the doctor that if Chip does have only a short time to live I wanted to make that time for him the best we could and wanted to started the new antibiotics on him so we could hopefully get him more active then he was now.
We started Chip on antibiotics on May 26th. By Monday, he was no longer affectionate, he had stopped eating, and all he did was lie in his bed exhausted. We could at this point still pick him up for a few moments of cuddling time, but soon that became to exhausting. Friday, we decided to take him into the vet again, by now he could not even look at anyone or anything, all he could do is stare straight ahead. We knew at this point that we were watching our little baby die. We could tell that he was suffering. He lost 16% of his body weight in a little over a week and was down to 6 lbs and 4oz, picking him up was like picking up nothing.
I was actually supposed to go in that day to pick up Chipâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s second antibiotic and appetite stimulant (a first attempt before trying a feeding tube). Once the doctor saw him, we knew what he would say. Doctors know itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s not a decision for them to make, so we had to ask him. I asked the doctor that any decision that needed to be made had to be done void of any emotion, something we could not do ourselves. The doctor said if it was his pet he would euthanize him. The doctor said we could take Chip home for the weekend to say our goodbyes and I asked who exactly would that benefit, just us or him, does Chip know that he is dying? The vet said, Chip does not know he is dying and it would really only benefit us, I knew taking Chip home would only mean more suffering for him and us too. I did not want to watch Chip dying. The vet described Chip as a shadow of his former self. With that, we knew what needed to be done. At this point I could no longer hold back my emotions and began to sob. Chris followed quickly behind.
The doctor gave us some time alone with Chip and we just cried and held him in our arms, taking turns neither really wanting to let go. When I held Chip he reached his left paw around my shoulder and pulled his frail body close to mine, his head tucked under my chin. My husband kneeled next to us and Chip meowed. The little guy with what strength he had held on so tight. A few minutes later the nurse came in to take him to get a catheter put in to help the doctor administer the drug that would take Chip from us and to a better place. I told the nurse that Chip was so different from this morning just now, that he was being affectionate and aware and she said that they know what is happening and he is telling us its okay.
She brought Chip back wrapped up in a blanket and placed him in my arms, he laid his head against my chest and I put my chin on top of his head and he nuzzled me. A short time later the vet came in. My husband and I both held Chip in our arms. When the doctor put the needle in the catheter Chip leaned over and pressed against me and just like that he was gone.
These last few days have been so hard. All I can think about is how I want Chip back, I want to take back those last few moments and I want to run out that door and never look back. I want to hold my baby and tell him I will make everything better. I want to tell him that I am strong enough for the both of us and everything will be okay. Then I have to stop all of my selfish feelings and remind myself that I did do the strong thing for Chip, I let him go. That if loving anyone should be anything, it should be selfless.
Chip, rest in peace! We will always love you and miss you and will always remember how blessed we are that we were able to love and be loved by you.
