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- Nov 3, 2012
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Two days ago my dear Scottish Fold passed away after fighting nasal cancer for more than 2 years. Fortunately, she died in my arms, but after 2 very difficult days of seizures.
Martha, as she was re-named, originally belonged to a breeder here in the countryside of Japan. However, she had a miscarriage with her first litter and had to be spayed. For more than 4 years the breeder kept her out of love, but Martha was not very happy surrounded by many cats and kittens. When she was 4 and a half, the breeder asked the vet about finding another home for Martha and the vet asked us to take her in. Martha was a classical Scottish Fold with little tiny ears. We had two other cats at the time and she quickly adapted to that and adopted us all more or less as her own. She was the kindest, sweetest cat and loved people and animals alike. Two years ago, after a hard winter in which she seemed to have caught a cold and had the sniffles always, she was diagnosed with intrasinal- nasal cancer. The usual lifespan after diagnosis is 3months. Because she was already 13 yo, we did not opt for cancer chemo or anything else; our vet said it may provide some extra time, but it is hard on the cat and never cures cancer. Instead, a friend provided us with alternative therapy and for two years Martha fought the cancer. She ate about 4-5 times the amount of food an ordinary healthy cat would eat in order to keep her fight going. But, over the two years, she went from being a chubby cat to just skin and bones. It was so very difficult to see that. Moreover, the cancer eventually began to show on her face and distorted it on the left side. It was pretty bad, but she still wanted to live and seemed to have little pain overall. Two weeks ago she started acting funny; she would stop and stare for periods of time and then occasionally seem to lose her balance. I suspected that she was having seizures. Little by little the seizures became more obvious until they were just awful to see. I would hold her as she shook and talk to her softly to reassure her that she wasn't alone. If we left her alone for any time at all, she would try to stand and go to find someone. I ended up bringing her to my bed at night and sleeping with one hand on her so I would wake when another seizure came. The night before her death, my daughter stayed with her all night and asked her to wait for me to wake up before she left us. And, that is exactly what she did. I got up a little after 7AM that morning and came to check on my daughter and Martha. Martha was very quiet. Her breathing and heart beat were fading and I knew the time was close by. I talked to her and she looked at me with her one good eye and opened her mouth to speak to me, although no sound came out. I told her I would make tea and then be back here in a minute, but almost as soon as I stepped away, my daughter called to me and Martha was having another seizure. I held her body as her spirit left us behind and then my daughter and I just cried. Two days later, we buried her here at our temple in Japan where two other cat children of mine are also buried. I still feel great loneliness with her gone despite having four other cat friends living here with us. Each cat is special to me. Martha was special too. I am so very glad that I could be with her as she left this world, but it never becomes easier to say goodbye.
Martha, as she was re-named, originally belonged to a breeder here in the countryside of Japan. However, she had a miscarriage with her first litter and had to be spayed. For more than 4 years the breeder kept her out of love, but Martha was not very happy surrounded by many cats and kittens. When she was 4 and a half, the breeder asked the vet about finding another home for Martha and the vet asked us to take her in. Martha was a classical Scottish Fold with little tiny ears. We had two other cats at the time and she quickly adapted to that and adopted us all more or less as her own. She was the kindest, sweetest cat and loved people and animals alike. Two years ago, after a hard winter in which she seemed to have caught a cold and had the sniffles always, she was diagnosed with intrasinal- nasal cancer. The usual lifespan after diagnosis is 3months. Because she was already 13 yo, we did not opt for cancer chemo or anything else; our vet said it may provide some extra time, but it is hard on the cat and never cures cancer. Instead, a friend provided us with alternative therapy and for two years Martha fought the cancer. She ate about 4-5 times the amount of food an ordinary healthy cat would eat in order to keep her fight going. But, over the two years, she went from being a chubby cat to just skin and bones. It was so very difficult to see that. Moreover, the cancer eventually began to show on her face and distorted it on the left side. It was pretty bad, but she still wanted to live and seemed to have little pain overall. Two weeks ago she started acting funny; she would stop and stare for periods of time and then occasionally seem to lose her balance. I suspected that she was having seizures. Little by little the seizures became more obvious until they were just awful to see. I would hold her as she shook and talk to her softly to reassure her that she wasn't alone. If we left her alone for any time at all, she would try to stand and go to find someone. I ended up bringing her to my bed at night and sleeping with one hand on her so I would wake when another seizure came. The night before her death, my daughter stayed with her all night and asked her to wait for me to wake up before she left us. And, that is exactly what she did. I got up a little after 7AM that morning and came to check on my daughter and Martha. Martha was very quiet. Her breathing and heart beat were fading and I knew the time was close by. I talked to her and she looked at me with her one good eye and opened her mouth to speak to me, although no sound came out. I told her I would make tea and then be back here in a minute, but almost as soon as I stepped away, my daughter called to me and Martha was having another seizure. I held her body as her spirit left us behind and then my daughter and I just cried. Two days later, we buried her here at our temple in Japan where two other cat children of mine are also buried. I still feel great loneliness with her gone despite having four other cat friends living here with us. Each cat is special to me. Martha was special too. I am so very glad that I could be with her as she left this world, but it never becomes easier to say goodbye.
