- Joined
- Dec 20, 2012
- Messages
- 11
- Purraise
- 1
My little kitty, Baxter, didn't have much time with me. He will be missed all the same though. A few months back I adopted my first cats since I left home and got my own apartment. It was a different experience because I was now solely responsible for my kitties' health and well being. I got Baxter in July, three months after getting the first cat of my own, Navi. Baxter came from a feral cat rescue group, his mom was feral so he was a bit people shy when I got him at 4 months old. After Navi got used to him being around they became companions, playing sometimes and sleeping together a lot. I think he enjoyed being with Navi more than me at first. He was slowing starting to like me though. He never seemed like a really playful kitty, he like to be in the same room with every one though and watch what was going on. Not many toys could peak his interest. He did have a catnip squirrel he like to play with occasionally. Sometimes the laser pointer or a feather stick would interest him. He loved raw milk. I think it was his favorite. He never meowed more than when I pulled the milk out of the fridge. He had started sleeping with me sometimes before he passed away, I think he was starting to trust me. I only heard him purr once in the time I had him, unfortunately.
Three weeks ago, I noticed he has slept all day in my closet which was longer than he would usually sleep, I pulled him out since I was trying to get him to be more playful and people friendly. He was acting weird though. He would just look and sit in a loaf position with heavy looking eyes. I could tell he didn't look well. I realized he hadn't eaten all day and tried tempting him with some wet kitty food, but he wouldn't eat or drink anything. Over the next few days he wouldn't eat or drink anything but milk which I had to help him get to since he had become so weak. He couldn't walk well anymore. He would stumble a lot. His back legs seemed to be really weak. I wanted to take him to the vet soon but with my work schedule and it being finals week I had trouble getting an appointment. After three days of giving him nothing but milk, he started eating solids again, one day I cam home from work and he was up and moving. He seemed wobbly but a lot better than he had been. I had really hoped at that point everything was going to be ok. I took him to the vet on the fifth day, he had kept doing well until that morning, he was extremely weak and couldn't walk at all again when I woke up. The vet did many tests and couldn't come to any conclusion about what could be wrong. I kept him in the hospital for a night with no progress on his condition and brought him home the next day. That experience had really stressed him out I think. I was giving him multiple antibiotics and steroids at the vets instructions to see if it would do him any good. Nothing worked. He did recover for almost two days and had continued eating solids very well and then he got worse than ever. Over four days he began eating less again and never got out of his bed. I continuously fed and groomed him hoping he would recover. He stopped eating and got to the point he couldn't even swallow if I syringe fed him. I took him to a different vet to get a second opinion, they too found nothing conclusive and referred me to a neurologist. I went to the neurologist immediately and they did some tests. They told me the movements of his eyes, his breathing, the walking problem he had and his sleeping posture indicated that he had several problems with his nervous system not functioning correctly and that he likely had problems or at least swelling around his brain stem. The vet suspected fip or meningitis, though he had no fever or vomiting, as likely causes and in his current state he wasn't likely to survive for much longer. He said he would have to be given a feeding tube and testing to find out what was really wrong combined with possible treatment would be stressful and/or painful for him and would likely only prolong the inevitable. I don't think I had any other choice, I chose to let him sleep. I wasn't able to stay with him, I was too shaken up by it. I couldn't stop crying when the vet told me all this.
Now that I think back to it, he might have had problems even before he got weak. He played more when I first got him and slowly began playing less. I always thought it was just cause he was uncomfortable around people, but he might have had some mental problems earlier. I didn't do an autopsy, so I'll never know what really happened to him. I really wish he had gotten more time to know what it would be like to be comfortable in a house and play happily with me and Navi and I wish I had heard him purr more often.
Navi has seemed pretty lonely since Baxter died so I will be adopting another kitty soon but I know no kitty will ever replace him. He wasn't with me long but I think I saw his personality for a little bit.
R.I.P. Baxter, March 16, 2012 - December 26, 2012
Three weeks ago, I noticed he has slept all day in my closet which was longer than he would usually sleep, I pulled him out since I was trying to get him to be more playful and people friendly. He was acting weird though. He would just look and sit in a loaf position with heavy looking eyes. I could tell he didn't look well. I realized he hadn't eaten all day and tried tempting him with some wet kitty food, but he wouldn't eat or drink anything. Over the next few days he wouldn't eat or drink anything but milk which I had to help him get to since he had become so weak. He couldn't walk well anymore. He would stumble a lot. His back legs seemed to be really weak. I wanted to take him to the vet soon but with my work schedule and it being finals week I had trouble getting an appointment. After three days of giving him nothing but milk, he started eating solids again, one day I cam home from work and he was up and moving. He seemed wobbly but a lot better than he had been. I had really hoped at that point everything was going to be ok. I took him to the vet on the fifth day, he had kept doing well until that morning, he was extremely weak and couldn't walk at all again when I woke up. The vet did many tests and couldn't come to any conclusion about what could be wrong. I kept him in the hospital for a night with no progress on his condition and brought him home the next day. That experience had really stressed him out I think. I was giving him multiple antibiotics and steroids at the vets instructions to see if it would do him any good. Nothing worked. He did recover for almost two days and had continued eating solids very well and then he got worse than ever. Over four days he began eating less again and never got out of his bed. I continuously fed and groomed him hoping he would recover. He stopped eating and got to the point he couldn't even swallow if I syringe fed him. I took him to a different vet to get a second opinion, they too found nothing conclusive and referred me to a neurologist. I went to the neurologist immediately and they did some tests. They told me the movements of his eyes, his breathing, the walking problem he had and his sleeping posture indicated that he had several problems with his nervous system not functioning correctly and that he likely had problems or at least swelling around his brain stem. The vet suspected fip or meningitis, though he had no fever or vomiting, as likely causes and in his current state he wasn't likely to survive for much longer. He said he would have to be given a feeding tube and testing to find out what was really wrong combined with possible treatment would be stressful and/or painful for him and would likely only prolong the inevitable. I don't think I had any other choice, I chose to let him sleep. I wasn't able to stay with him, I was too shaken up by it. I couldn't stop crying when the vet told me all this.
Now that I think back to it, he might have had problems even before he got weak. He played more when I first got him and slowly began playing less. I always thought it was just cause he was uncomfortable around people, but he might have had some mental problems earlier. I didn't do an autopsy, so I'll never know what really happened to him. I really wish he had gotten more time to know what it would be like to be comfortable in a house and play happily with me and Navi and I wish I had heard him purr more often.
Navi has seemed pretty lonely since Baxter died so I will be adopting another kitty soon but I know no kitty will ever replace him. He wasn't with me long but I think I saw his personality for a little bit.
R.I.P. Baxter, March 16, 2012 - December 26, 2012
Play happily at the Rainbow Bridge, Baxter 
