The Timex kitty stopped ticking today.

Today was a tough one. Phoebe, the kitty who (as our vet put it) was his "Timex kitty since she took a licking and kept on ticking," finally gave in to kidney failure after living 13 months longer than expected (we'd been told her kidney numbers were "off the charts" and we should "put her down today" last March!). She missed her 20th birthday by only a few months.

It wasn't an easy decision today, but she'd finally truly outlived her kidneys….and had, in the past few days, due to a quick change in her kidney status, sustained brain damage that suddenly caused her to lose most of her sight, and she was no longer was able to eat or urinate (although sweet girl still wandered to the litterbox to try!). We tried syringe feeding briefly, but she couldn't keep it down. So today my husband and I made the horribly difficult decision that it was the right time…while she still recognized us….recognized our touch….our scratches under her chin…while she still knew a little pleasure and comfort in this world.

And she went as she'd lived….with a few little grumbles under her breath…but with a quiet dignity, while lying on her favorite heating pad, closing her eyes in the comfort of my chin scratches and ear rubs, and my husband telling her she was the best old girl she could possibly be. And she was the best old girl…right up until the very end, slipping quietly away. My sleeping buddy…my gorgeous old girl…will be horribly missed. Sleep well tonight Phoebe.

I am so sorry for your loss.

She was such an adorable, lovely girl and as you said, you will miss her badly. We always miss them the most, but they are happy to move on to the other world, to new places, wherever that may be. They don't fear death and they are always prepared for it.

Be brave.
 

Phoebe, truly a gorgeous girl.  

I'm very sorry for your loss.  

Such a beautiful girl. I'm so sorry for your loss, my thoughts and prayers go out to you and your husband.

RIP Phoebe

Dalimili18 said:

 
I am so sorry for your loss.

She was such an adorable, lovely girl and as you said, you will miss her badly. We always miss them the most, but they are happy to move on to the other world, to new places, wherever that may be. They don't fear death and they are always prepared for it.

Be brave.
 

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I echo these beautiful sentiments! What a gorgeous kitty, she will be terribly missed, especially after so many wonderful years...Godspeed to the Other Side, timex kitty

My condolences. Phoebe was a beautiful girl, and the fact that she reached such a ripe old age is a testament to the love and care she got. RIP, sweetie.

She is indeed beautiful!  I don't say "was" because her lovey spirit is now just on the other side.  I am sorry for your loss.

Wanted to add: having your Phoebe for almost 20 years is a gift you can cherish in the months to come.

What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful, loving companion! Cherish your precious memories, they will comfort you in the years to come. It shows what a strong, determined cat she was to fight for so long,she gave you 13 more months of her sweet love and devotion. It takes a long time to heal that hole left in your heart, and almost 20 years of faithful companionship will be horribly missed. Remember she would want you to smile when you remember her, she would not like you to be full of sadness and pain when you say her name. You cared for her above and beyond what most would have done, I'm sure she loved you even more for that, but there does come a time when even the most strongest heart must rest. The heavens gained a beautiful angel when she left this earth, she'll comfort you in your dreams from the Rainbow Bridge. I pray you are blessed for loving that sweet baby so much, it is only right. RIP sweet Phoebe!

I'm sorry for your loss. I'm glad she was able to live a good long life with you. I'm sure she loved being your cat.

Few cats get to see 20 years. You gave her a very good life. 

I'm so sorry for your loss. Kidney failure is the absolute worst, but from what I've gathered it's worse for the ones around than the patient.

What a beautiful girl she was and still is <3 .

Thanks everyone so much....I can't believe it's still as emotional today as it was Monday. As many animals have come and gone through my life, I keep thinking it'll get easier, but I guess I should be happy that it doesn't since it means I'm still open to love, right?

Many of you have read of me talking about Phoebe before . Kidney failure is a tough one. I have to say - in a sense we were lucky. When she was diagnosed in "end stage renal failure" a year ago March, she'd stopped eating, and even my beloved vet said "it's time." (I love his partner too - but I trust "my guy" more). I wanted to take her home and just see if syringe feeding would jumpstart at all - even though she was 18 1/2 at the time. But she was such a tough old bird, and she was SO incredibly bonded to me (the first 6 months of her life she almost got me kicked out of my "no pets apartment" I'd moved into when I'd left my abusive husband very suddenly - but I though, how would anyone know I've got a teeny kitten? Stupid me - Phoebe acted like a dog with severe separation anxiety - the minute I walked out the front door, she'd squeeze in front of the blinds at the front picture window (which of course - was right across from the apartment offices!!!!) and meow at the top of her teeny tiny lungs......until I got home at 7 or 8!!!!!!!!!!! Neighbors asked me what I had in there?!?! And when I was home, the only place she would sleep was draped across my throat. If I put her out of the bedroom, she scratched the bedroom door or threw her teeny body up at the doorknob for literally hours on end All just to be near "Mommy." She almost got me fired - because I'd started a new job when I left my husband (and adopted Phoebe)....and I was so exhausted my boss kept finding me asleep under my desk! Luckily for me (and Phoebe AND my job!!) I ended up falling in love with and marrying my NEW boss (who grew to love Phoebe too).

So given her toughness, we decided to give her 3 weeks of syringe feeding and then we'd re-evaluate -----and lo and behold, she began eating on her own! She got back her old way - playing with tiny "soccer balls" (wadded up pieces of paper) and more. She got down to 5 pounds (and on a medium-frame Maine Coone mix that's not much weight) but even the vet said she seemed happy. So we kept her going - hopefully we'd know "when."

Then last week, very quickly, she went from a lot of sleeping but generally enjoying life, open windows, food, and pets. Then last Thursday, she stopped eating. We tried to string feed, but there was too much drool (probably sores we couldn't see in her esophagus or stomach)...to the point that anything we syringed in drooled right back out. We tried nauseau meds, but they did nothing. She remained hydrated (I tested often), but by Saturday stopped peeing. Friday the brain damage began - she suddenly couldn't see much, couldn't hear much   - was very disoriented. And the hardest part -- - she still WANTED to eat....but just couldn't. She'd wander the house from one cat bowl to the next, just drooling.

So Sunday night we made the decision. I talked to the vet and he agreed, that sub-q fluids might extend her a day or two, but we wouldn't get much more, and she would continue to decline otherwise, more and more quickly, and become more and more uncomfortable. So Sunday night, when I realized she was still able to fairly sure-footed jump up onto the bed onto her kitty heating pad, and she was still able to slightly hear my name, and come over for a chin rub and an ear scratch, it was time. I thought about waiting.....but in the past I've always waited until "there was no turning back" (in other words coma or severe pain).....which for me, in retrospect, was too long with my last few (although everyone's different - I'm NOT passing judgement by ANY means on when ANYONE decides!). I'm glad we made the decision while she still was able to enjoy scratchings and ear rubs and singing "soft kitty warm kitty" all the way to the vet. And even at the vet - it was a "glass half full moment" that the brain damage made her no longer afraid of the vet. She focussed on my and my touch. So she truly went over the rainbow bridge with mommy rubbing her, petting her, and telling her how amazing she'd made my life.

Saying goodbye is never easy - in fact it's awful. But I think Phoebe went the best way possible - knowing, without a doubt - she was very, very loved.

What a wonderful story of your life with Phoebe. I'm glad that you've found a loving and supportive husband, and that he shared your love for your little girl. She is happy and healthy now on the other side of the bridge, just waiting for your turn to cross.

I wish you peace and joyful memories of your Phoebe.

Best regards.

Phoebe had an amazing family and it is so hard to lose our furry family. I lost my Maine Coon/Domestic short hair boy that I had for almost 8 years only five weeks ago to poison by a very cruel and evil neighbor, and I am now for the first time posting about it here. He was our camping cat, motel and road trip boy, Taz who I can't believe I am still crying just sharing his loss.

I am so sorry for your loss of Phoebe, she will I am sure be mourned and missed for many years. I know personally I also have had many cats, rats come and go over the years, but Taz was a different and was my first furry child. then all He believed my Siamese Rat, Monkey was his sister. He also was very lonely since most average cats were terrified of his large size.

I was blessed with two kittens from my American Ringtail Cat Sno Bunny, a week to the day after his death. So I will be keeping the pink male, Airborne who was born between the bed and the floor.

I know that our cats knew they were loved and adored by us their families. It will take time to soften their loss, but the years of memories and love will always be an integral part of who we are.

I just ran across this thread and was intrigued by the words "timex kitty".  You see, I had a daughter with a severe heart defect who outlived every prediction from "not more than 6 months" when she was a tiny baby to all the things she never would be able to do (she did everything like learning to drive a stick shift car, diving to the bottom of a 10 foot deep pool, getting to know the ins and outs of a car engine so that she could tell someone else how to do various repairs that she did not have the strength to do herself, rollerskating, graduating from high school etc). She had many surgeries and finally passed at he age of 37. Her favorite expression when someone asked how she could cope with all this was "my heart is like a Timex: take a licking, keep on ticking". Her name was Phaedra.  

Beautiful Phoebe 

Thank you so much everyone for your loving thoughts for me and for Phoebe...it meant the world and continues to buoy my spirits.

It's still so hard to walk into the master bedroom and not immediately call out "how's my Phoebes?" but I'm learning.

And segelkatt, I was saddened but uplifted to read about your daughter. Hopefully she's comforting the new arrival, Phoebe, and vice versa.

Thanks again to such a wonderful community.