Gracie is in real trouble.......

i'm so sorry for your loss RIP sweet gracie

I'm so sorry about Gracie. I had my fingers crossed that there would be a happy ending. I wish you all the best.

So sorry about your Cat.

You did do everything you could.

I am so sorry that you lost your precious girl! You, your wife and Gracie are in my thoughts and prayers.

After last Tuesday night, I was pretty much a mope..... On Friday I tried going into the Crossing the Bridge forum, and I couldn't even read them, much less add one.....

Saturday, my wife, who is clearly much smarter than I, "just kind of" stopped at the shelter on our way home from a trip. And got me to look at kittens, which didn't feel right to me. Then she got me into the adult cats. I walked around looking at the cats, and suddenly was caught by a pair of green eyes. I opened the door, and a large, brown tabby walked over, settled in my arms, and started purring.

Several other cats were out playing in the large area, one of which was a small, gray kitten. She was in with the adult cats because she was over 6 months. After chasing some toys, batting around a ball, and acting "kitten-like", she ran over and climbed on my wife's lap, demanded to be paid attention to, and also started purring.....

We spent over 2 hours with different cats, and at the end my wife looked at me and said, "It doesn't replace Gracie, nothing can, but these cats need a home. We have a home, where there are people that will love them and care for them, and talk to them, and they'll bring life back to a house that's too quiet and empty."

SO, Brownie, the year-old, gray-brown tabby that came to me, and Skye, the tiny gray kitten that was glued to my wife's lap, came home. They curled up together on the ride home, and sat on my lap looking out the window.

Brownie is a very dignified, year-old girl, who enjoys sitting on a lap and being stroked, and has a gorgeous, soft coat. Skye is between 6 months and a year, tiny, and is the most affectionate kitten I've ever seen. She's already spending almost all her time in the office with me, and likes nothing better than to be held and stroked (unless it's to stick her head in my glass of ice water and have a slurp!). They both sleep on the bed with us, enjoy sitting on the window sills in the sun, and are eating and using the litter box...

They've been to the vet and pronounced healthy other than ear mites in Skye. She was only 2 1/2 pounds when she was turned in to the pound 3 weeks ago. She gained a pound while there, and has gained another 4 ounces already this week. So, now that she's getting a good diet, she's growing like crazy.

So, once again, the old house on 3rd street resounds the sound of cats chirping and warbling and meowing, and the sound of tiny tiger feet thundering overhead as they play with whatever they've found. As it should!

Thanks, everyone, for your kind thoughts.

Your news brought tears to my eyes, but this time of happiness for you - I'm sure Gracie had a paw in making sure Brownie and Skye found such a wonderful forever home. Bless you and your family.

What a great post. I applaud what you did. It's a win-win situation for the kitties and you and your wife. I recommend it to everyone that suffers such a loss as you did, and my family and I have done the same very recently.

I stopped by to update a different post, and found this one again.  And even though it's been 3 1/2 years it still had the same effect on me today it had when it happened.  Brownie and Skye are terrific cats, happy, friendly, goofy, demanding (just like all women!)...  Excellent companions - I get "interrupted" when working at the computer a dozen times a day by one of them demanding some attention.  Which, of course, I always stop and provide.  Skye, especially loves to drape herself over my shoulder and rub her face on my beard - it's bristly and I think she either like combing with it, or she's marking me as part of her territory. 

Gracie may be gone, but she's never far from my memory.  And, unfortunately, I still can't go to the crossing the bridge section and talk about her.  I suspect I'll never be able to.  But, there are at least two rescue cats that have a good home, with lots of litter boxes, comfortable cat beds in every room (I think we must have at least a dozen plushy beds, including 2 in the 5th wheel for when we travel), people that dote on them and spoil them, birds to watch out the window from their custom-made 7-foot cat tree (it took me a week to build it when they came home), and pretty much anything else we can think of that'll make them happy...

I still miss Gracie, and apparently always will, but I hope she'd be happy with what we've done for these two.

Oh my goodness, you have such a good heart.

Little Gracie Allen sure has a devoted forever friend in you.

God Bless.

Oh, my.  This story was several years ago but it has been my nightmare now.  We took our sweet Violet, a 7 month old Himalayan kitten for a spay to our vet.  They were drawing her blood from a jugular vein, she wiggled and the tech stuck the needle through her vein.  Two hours later she was dead.  The vet told us she must have had a heart problem.  We had a necropsy done at the Vet School Clinic and they said she hemorrhaged from the needle stick.  Devastating.  I took a healthy, beautiful little kitten to the vet to keep her safe and healthy and she was killed by an unnecessary test that we did not even consent for her to have.  I am crushed.  

Please be careful with your kitties.  Always ask the vet what they are doing, who is doing it and how risky it is, then make an informed choice, that you decide is best for your kitty.

Dk, I know I am late to the game here, but I read this thread and felt both horrible and happy for you. Horrible because you lost your baby, but happy that you gave your new babies home and care. For the record, your man card is NEVER in jeopardy for being compassionate, loving, and caring toward a living, breathing creature. From one cat lover to another, thank you for loving Gracie enough to give her that kind of care. I'm sorry for your loss, but I'm so happy you have two new ones as companions.

Vickie, I'm so sorry for your loss. You did nothing wrong; please keep that in mind as much as you can. Your Violet was a beautiful kitty!

Good luck to you both.

Thank you for the kind thoughts. We are asking the clinic to make changes in their consent forms and take the extra time to explain exactly what they will be doing to your pet, allow people to opt out of procedures.  Hope this will save another little kitty from suffering Violet's fate.  I miss her every day.    

vickia said:

 
Thank you for the kind thoughts. We are asking the clinic to make changes in their consent forms and take the extra time to explain exactly what they will be doing to your pet, allow people to opt out of procedures.  Hope this will save another little kitty from suffering Violet's fate.  I miss her every day.    

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I understand your pain. I just got two kittens a couple days ago and I'm so attached to them already I don't know what I would do if anything happened to them. I'm glad I read this because I'm taking mine in this week for free examines to make sure all is well and I will make sure they don't do anything without my say. They were already netured the day before I got them, so I at least don't have to go through that.

I know one day we will find another kitty.  Right now, it is too soon.  One recommendation I reviewed said be sure you vet will take the time to talk to you and do the exams in the room with you  not take your pet into the back to give shots or do the exams.  I will insist on that when I find a new vet and a new kitty.  Good luck with your little kittens.  

whew...I'm so so sorry... it's so devasting to lose a kitty, but add the shock of how you lost yours... very difficult. (hugs)

People have been so kind and supportive. We are asking the vet to make changes in their practice and improve consents, we hope they will agree.  We also filed a report with the Board of Veterinary medicine and they will conduct an investigation into little Violet's death.  I hope some of these measures will protect another little kitty.  It is amazing how quiet your house becomes when you lose a pet.