My cat Normie passed on Saturday morning.
He was only 3 - a ball of energy - always with his tail straight up in the air like a flag. He climbed up my curtains to the top of the fireplace, slept on the wooden beams at the top of my cathedral ceiling, hid in the bathtub to pounce on me. Like any cat he occasionally had a temper and when he got angry with me he would jump on my leg. He was the sweetest, most affectionate, intelligent being ever to grace my life. He had a fixation with office machines, and because my office is in my basement he amused himself daily, his preference being the fax. The sound of a machine would bring him running - even after three years his enthusiasm never waned - not even a bit.
Last week I took him to the vet with symptoms of FLUT. Indeed he was blocked and they catheterized him. The vet called and said his blood work was fine; there were no complications. That same day they removed the catheter, but the blockage recurred. Then they were unable to re-insert the catheter due to edema in his urethra. That was the tragic event that led to his death, but only after I approved a tortuous last-resort PU surgery. Before surgery the vet had squeezed his bladder to extract urine and also did cystocentesis. The bladder was compromised and urine was draining into his abdominal cavity; this was most likely what impeded his recovery.
Friday I finally insisted on bringing him home and letting him pass with me at his side, surrounded by the smells and sounds he was used to. About 4:00 he breathed his last breath and I was there to comfort him, which is the only solace available. Otherwise I am absolutely devastated and worse are the feelings of guilt that I didn't get him to the vet sooner, that I didn't research the condition on time (they say a catheter should be left in for three days)... so many feelings and no relief. It's too late for should have, could have.. We lost this amazing noble being that brought us so much joy and made us laugh every day. I will never be the same.
He was only 3 - a ball of energy - always with his tail straight up in the air like a flag. He climbed up my curtains to the top of the fireplace, slept on the wooden beams at the top of my cathedral ceiling, hid in the bathtub to pounce on me. Like any cat he occasionally had a temper and when he got angry with me he would jump on my leg. He was the sweetest, most affectionate, intelligent being ever to grace my life. He had a fixation with office machines, and because my office is in my basement he amused himself daily, his preference being the fax. The sound of a machine would bring him running - even after three years his enthusiasm never waned - not even a bit.
Last week I took him to the vet with symptoms of FLUT. Indeed he was blocked and they catheterized him. The vet called and said his blood work was fine; there were no complications. That same day they removed the catheter, but the blockage recurred. Then they were unable to re-insert the catheter due to edema in his urethra. That was the tragic event that led to his death, but only after I approved a tortuous last-resort PU surgery. Before surgery the vet had squeezed his bladder to extract urine and also did cystocentesis. The bladder was compromised and urine was draining into his abdominal cavity; this was most likely what impeded his recovery.
Friday I finally insisted on bringing him home and letting him pass with me at his side, surrounded by the smells and sounds he was used to. About 4:00 he breathed his last breath and I was there to comfort him, which is the only solace available. Otherwise I am absolutely devastated and worse are the feelings of guilt that I didn't get him to the vet sooner, that I didn't research the condition on time (they say a catheter should be left in for three days)... so many feelings and no relief. It's too late for should have, could have.. We lost this amazing noble being that brought us so much joy and made us laugh every day. I will never be the same.