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- Dec 25, 2015
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My beautiful Sidney kitty, my special little cuddle-muffin
Sidney came into my life unexpectedly. I had just moved to a new place with my spouse and was looking for a job and trying to get started. We moved into a place knowing we would be cat-sitting for our neighbors over a five month period when they went abroad, I was so excited as a cat lover. She would come to visit us downstairs sometimes and I was always so exited to see her! She was a beautiful special little 12 year old kitty. She had hyperthyroidism being treated with Felimazole. Just over a year a go, she moved in with us to look after her and knowing cats, I started out slow. But soon enough, she was part of the family, sitting on our laps for hours and spending time with us anytime we were home.
She completely stole my heart and I fell in love with her despite knowing I'd have to give her back. Through periods of unemployment and the struggles associated with it, through the jobs I did get and hated, Sidney was my best friend. Before she lived with my neighbors, she lived in a senior home for people with dementia and comforted the patients and brought them joy. She did the same for me every day through the hard times, giving my life purpose. She followed me around the house and I called her my little shadow. She became my purpose when everything else was so hard, I knew I had to take care of her, feed her, take her outside for walks and give her attention. She kept me going through the worst times and brought me so much happiness, love and joy.
When my neighbors returned, they could see how much I loved her and that she truly thrived under my care. They said she was sometimes anxious and restless, but around me, she was calm and happy. It turned out, they never wanted a cat to begin with and only took her because no one else wanted her due to her hyperthyroidism, so they were quite happy to let me keep her. She was my first very own cat in my adult life and we had such a special bond. Anytime I was sick, she laid on my bed. Every time I showered, she waited outside the door like she thought I might drown, then follow me back to my room. Most days she greeted me at the door with a happy meow. She would sit on my lap for hours and hours content and purring. She loved nothing more than company.
At the beginning of December, she started losing interest in food. I was very worried because I knew this was a bad sign for a cat. Especially her. She always loved food and would meow, look up at me and pat at my leg for dinner every night. I took her to the vet, where they said they were concerned she was working harder to breathe than she should be, they found a lump in her abdomen (which was a little swollen) and eventually the blood tests showed her thyroid was out of control. First things first, we upped her thyroid meds and within a day, she was getting back to normal. I was so relieved the probelm was solved, but I still had the lump in the back of my mind and we were scheduled to go back and have it checked in week or so. I knew what it could mean, but all the rest of her blood tests came back completely normal and I hoped it was something simple.
On Tuesday Dec. 15, everything changed. She didn't want breakfast in the morning and I had to hand-feed her before work. When I got home, she didn't want dinner. I could see her breathing was laboured and the respiratory rate had increased. She got up from laying on the bed and starting panting in the doorway and I knew this was bad. We took her to the hospital, where we found out after an x-ray that she had cancer. They found tumours in her lungs which had undoubtedly spread from somewhere else. She had fluid in her chest which caused her breathing difficulty and it was blocking her heart. When I brought her in, I'd been expecting heart failure due to her thyroid condition, but not this...
I had already decided before if it was cancer, I was not going to put her through treatment. She gets stressed out going to the vet and I couldn't bear putting her through chemo. It didn't even matter because they said her prognosis for oncology was poor and I knew I would choose palliative care. But my heart was broken. My little Sidney kitty (as we liked to call her), had cancer. But she was so beautiful and loving and gentle and I took the best care of her I could. I had spent five long months patiently switching her from dry to wet food. I was so proud the day she ate her first full can.
After I saw the tumours, I didn't understand much of what they said. They drained 150mL of fluid from my little 7lb girlie. They said that was a lot and I felt terrible. Why had I not seen it before or taken her in before? She spent the night in the hospital in an oxygen incubator and I never stopped crying. We picked her up in the morning and consulted her regular vet, who put her on prednisone in hopes it was lymphoma. We declined to have the fluid tested because at the time we didn't think it would change anything.
After two doses of prednisone, she had a drastic recovery. She ate tons of food, and I let her. She needed to put on weight having lost 1 pound between September and now. She was being herself again and it was so hard to watch knowing it wouldn't last, but I enjoyed treasuring each moment with her. We didn't know how long we might have. The vet said some cats live 8 months, some 3. I knew it could turn bad quickly if the fluid came back again.
On Monday December 21, she took a turn for the worst. Her breathing worsened and she had no appetite again. Her tummy felt swollen and there was a noticeable bulge. I knew it was time. I didn't want to keep taking her to the hospital to get the fluid drained. They told me the first time she wasn't in pain, but I knew it couldn't be comfortable drowning in your own body. It broke my heart but I knew what I had to do. We had a mobile vet come to our house and put her to sleep in my arms. I miss my baby so much every day, I didn't know how to go on at first. She was so much a part of my life, but I know I did the right thing for her. She was the sweetest kitty I ever met and I wish we could have had more time together. Still, I am so grateful we had those last extra days with her - it could have ended so much worse. I will never forget my little Sidney kitty, you are in my heart forever girlie.
Sidney came into my life unexpectedly. I had just moved to a new place with my spouse and was looking for a job and trying to get started. We moved into a place knowing we would be cat-sitting for our neighbors over a five month period when they went abroad, I was so excited as a cat lover. She would come to visit us downstairs sometimes and I was always so exited to see her! She was a beautiful special little 12 year old kitty. She had hyperthyroidism being treated with Felimazole. Just over a year a go, she moved in with us to look after her and knowing cats, I started out slow. But soon enough, she was part of the family, sitting on our laps for hours and spending time with us anytime we were home.
She completely stole my heart and I fell in love with her despite knowing I'd have to give her back. Through periods of unemployment and the struggles associated with it, through the jobs I did get and hated, Sidney was my best friend. Before she lived with my neighbors, she lived in a senior home for people with dementia and comforted the patients and brought them joy. She did the same for me every day through the hard times, giving my life purpose. She followed me around the house and I called her my little shadow. She became my purpose when everything else was so hard, I knew I had to take care of her, feed her, take her outside for walks and give her attention. She kept me going through the worst times and brought me so much happiness, love and joy.
When my neighbors returned, they could see how much I loved her and that she truly thrived under my care. They said she was sometimes anxious and restless, but around me, she was calm and happy. It turned out, they never wanted a cat to begin with and only took her because no one else wanted her due to her hyperthyroidism, so they were quite happy to let me keep her. She was my first very own cat in my adult life and we had such a special bond. Anytime I was sick, she laid on my bed. Every time I showered, she waited outside the door like she thought I might drown, then follow me back to my room. Most days she greeted me at the door with a happy meow. She would sit on my lap for hours and hours content and purring. She loved nothing more than company.
At the beginning of December, she started losing interest in food. I was very worried because I knew this was a bad sign for a cat. Especially her. She always loved food and would meow, look up at me and pat at my leg for dinner every night. I took her to the vet, where they said they were concerned she was working harder to breathe than she should be, they found a lump in her abdomen (which was a little swollen) and eventually the blood tests showed her thyroid was out of control. First things first, we upped her thyroid meds and within a day, she was getting back to normal. I was so relieved the probelm was solved, but I still had the lump in the back of my mind and we were scheduled to go back and have it checked in week or so. I knew what it could mean, but all the rest of her blood tests came back completely normal and I hoped it was something simple.
On Tuesday Dec. 15, everything changed. She didn't want breakfast in the morning and I had to hand-feed her before work. When I got home, she didn't want dinner. I could see her breathing was laboured and the respiratory rate had increased. She got up from laying on the bed and starting panting in the doorway and I knew this was bad. We took her to the hospital, where we found out after an x-ray that she had cancer. They found tumours in her lungs which had undoubtedly spread from somewhere else. She had fluid in her chest which caused her breathing difficulty and it was blocking her heart. When I brought her in, I'd been expecting heart failure due to her thyroid condition, but not this...
I had already decided before if it was cancer, I was not going to put her through treatment. She gets stressed out going to the vet and I couldn't bear putting her through chemo. It didn't even matter because they said her prognosis for oncology was poor and I knew I would choose palliative care. But my heart was broken. My little Sidney kitty (as we liked to call her), had cancer. But she was so beautiful and loving and gentle and I took the best care of her I could. I had spent five long months patiently switching her from dry to wet food. I was so proud the day she ate her first full can.
After I saw the tumours, I didn't understand much of what they said. They drained 150mL of fluid from my little 7lb girlie. They said that was a lot and I felt terrible. Why had I not seen it before or taken her in before? She spent the night in the hospital in an oxygen incubator and I never stopped crying. We picked her up in the morning and consulted her regular vet, who put her on prednisone in hopes it was lymphoma. We declined to have the fluid tested because at the time we didn't think it would change anything.
After two doses of prednisone, she had a drastic recovery. She ate tons of food, and I let her. She needed to put on weight having lost 1 pound between September and now. She was being herself again and it was so hard to watch knowing it wouldn't last, but I enjoyed treasuring each moment with her. We didn't know how long we might have. The vet said some cats live 8 months, some 3. I knew it could turn bad quickly if the fluid came back again.
On Monday December 21, she took a turn for the worst. Her breathing worsened and she had no appetite again. Her tummy felt swollen and there was a noticeable bulge. I knew it was time. I didn't want to keep taking her to the hospital to get the fluid drained. They told me the first time she wasn't in pain, but I knew it couldn't be comfortable drowning in your own body. It broke my heart but I knew what I had to do. We had a mobile vet come to our house and put her to sleep in my arms. I miss my baby so much every day, I didn't know how to go on at first. She was so much a part of my life, but I know I did the right thing for her. She was the sweetest kitty I ever met and I wish we could have had more time together. Still, I am so grateful we had those last extra days with her - it could have ended so much worse. I will never forget my little Sidney kitty, you are in my heart forever girlie.
