Storm was a 14 lb extremely lovable, playful Manx cat. She had a 3/4 tail, not a full tail and not a stub. She loved her catnip, I used to joke that she had a serious addiction. (Maybe it stopped the pain?) This year she would have turned 15, she didn't make it, passed away at 14 3/4 years old. Such a terrible thing to witness. She was my "baby girl." That's what we called her. She came when called Storm or Baby Girl. She chose my husband for me. The ONLY guy she liked that I dated. She would tuck him in at night and wait for me on my side of the bed until I came in, she'd keep my spot warm and then get on my belly and knead it. She would "tuck" me in at night, sometimes lay on my belly or just jump off the bed and go explore the dark house. The heart break started Wednesday night and of course our animal hospital, here in the country, was closed. The nearest one would be an hour away from us. At 8:00 pm, April 27, 2015, she yowled real loud in the one bedroom and pooped. Woke my husband up and he cleaned the mess. Normally she was telling us something was wrong. She wasn't breathing right, he said "put her by the water bowl, she's panting." So I did and when I picked her up, she was so light. Lighter than the last time I took her to the vet, two weeks ago, when she was last weighed in at 8 lbs. She was lighter than the "old man" who just turned 19, Scooter, my other cat. He's part Siamese and Tortiseshell Persian, all black. When we brush him, grey fur collects on the brush. He has Hyperthyroidism, been on medication since he was about 3 years old. You can see his age but his heart is strong. He too, is grieving.
Storm and I were at the vet's for an annual check up, last September, was told at her age that she no longer needed any vaccinations. It was a Friday when we went. I was 6 months pregnant with my first child, wanted to get both cats checked out before the baby arrived. She was first on the list. Weighed in at 14 lbs, healthy and extremely lovable to all who petted her. If you didn't let her, she would let herself and rub her head on your hand. It was the next day, I found the lump. I thought since she was so scared of the car ride, that whenever I brought her home, she ran and hid and scraped her belly somewhere. Didn't even think that she had some sort of cancer. Had a female Siamese 30 years ago, she died of stomach cancer, continually chewed at her back. My parents had to put her down and I was in the hospital at the time. They kept me longer because she was MY cat, very territorial and protective. She only liked me even though she was the "family" cat. She wasn't that old.
I took Storm back to the vet, the following Monday to get her checked out. The vet saw the lump and felt around for more. It was in her nipple. She told Storm that if she didn't leave it alone, she would cut it out and test it. Neither one of us knew the terrible outcome at the time. Meanwhile, 6 months down the road, it was me who did the research on Google and found out it was Feline Breast Cancer. I kept monitoring her and her belly. The baby came and I got that Feliway to plug into the wall so she would accept him and try to stop licking her belly, if this was an act to get my full attention because I brought a new life into the house. My husband didn't buy me anything for Christmas and now I realize what my gift actually was, it was her, God let me have her for a little while longer before he took her "home." I miss her dearly, I'm still heartbroken right now and hardly eating. I lost 5 lbs in two days and that's not good. I'm still a cat mommy to Scooter and a mommy to my son. It was in February that after the snow storm passed and the roads were clear, I was finally able to get Storm back to the vet. Her belly bled as she licked and 3 more small lumps appeared. Had no idea she was in any kind of pain, she did not show it. The vet gave her an antibiotic, steroid shot and monitored her by us coming back at 2 week intervals for two more rounds of steroid shots. We did that, the second time, she lost 8 lbs, the vet said "we don't want to anger the tumor so we'll administer her steroid pills. For a cat her age and size, she should not have lost that much weight so quickly."
She hates pills, very hard to get them down her throat. The vet wanted to make her "comfy." The cancer spread to her other nipples along her belly. She didn't give me a time frame for her. She just wanted her to be comfortable at home. We discussed chemo buy in her case and other cases, she said that the outcome is very bad and makes the cancer and the cat's health worse. She thought outside the box at times and I found vomit in places but thought it was the other cat. Never knew it was her until he poop appearing in my sewing room. That's where she sunbathed. Was scheduled to go back to the vet right before Mother's Day and we did not make it. That night I watched her go in Respiratory Distress and could not do anything about it. I placed all of her favorite things around her and monitored her throughout the night. I called the one animal hospital and they told me that I would not get her body back, to bury at home, that they would keep it and place her in their pet Cemetary or cremate her. I chose to keep her here to pass away, this was her home. I watched her die, I cried and prayed to God that he heal her and keep her here with me that I still needed her. He kept her here 8 hours until he took her away from me. We had one hell of a storm roll in. A torrential downpour at 8 am when I found her. She was on her way to find me. The under part of her was still warm and an imprint of her body on the rug. The storm took my Storm. We buried her in the yard, where she gazed out the window at the birds. I am planting flowers on her grave and putting 2 colorful landscaping lights to mark her burial. I'm so lost and distraught right now.
Thanks for reading my story.
Storm and I were at the vet's for an annual check up, last September, was told at her age that she no longer needed any vaccinations. It was a Friday when we went. I was 6 months pregnant with my first child, wanted to get both cats checked out before the baby arrived. She was first on the list. Weighed in at 14 lbs, healthy and extremely lovable to all who petted her. If you didn't let her, she would let herself and rub her head on your hand. It was the next day, I found the lump. I thought since she was so scared of the car ride, that whenever I brought her home, she ran and hid and scraped her belly somewhere. Didn't even think that she had some sort of cancer. Had a female Siamese 30 years ago, she died of stomach cancer, continually chewed at her back. My parents had to put her down and I was in the hospital at the time. They kept me longer because she was MY cat, very territorial and protective. She only liked me even though she was the "family" cat. She wasn't that old.
I took Storm back to the vet, the following Monday to get her checked out. The vet saw the lump and felt around for more. It was in her nipple. She told Storm that if she didn't leave it alone, she would cut it out and test it. Neither one of us knew the terrible outcome at the time. Meanwhile, 6 months down the road, it was me who did the research on Google and found out it was Feline Breast Cancer. I kept monitoring her and her belly. The baby came and I got that Feliway to plug into the wall so she would accept him and try to stop licking her belly, if this was an act to get my full attention because I brought a new life into the house. My husband didn't buy me anything for Christmas and now I realize what my gift actually was, it was her, God let me have her for a little while longer before he took her "home." I miss her dearly, I'm still heartbroken right now and hardly eating. I lost 5 lbs in two days and that's not good. I'm still a cat mommy to Scooter and a mommy to my son. It was in February that after the snow storm passed and the roads were clear, I was finally able to get Storm back to the vet. Her belly bled as she licked and 3 more small lumps appeared. Had no idea she was in any kind of pain, she did not show it. The vet gave her an antibiotic, steroid shot and monitored her by us coming back at 2 week intervals for two more rounds of steroid shots. We did that, the second time, she lost 8 lbs, the vet said "we don't want to anger the tumor so we'll administer her steroid pills. For a cat her age and size, she should not have lost that much weight so quickly."
She hates pills, very hard to get them down her throat. The vet wanted to make her "comfy." The cancer spread to her other nipples along her belly. She didn't give me a time frame for her. She just wanted her to be comfortable at home. We discussed chemo buy in her case and other cases, she said that the outcome is very bad and makes the cancer and the cat's health worse. She thought outside the box at times and I found vomit in places but thought it was the other cat. Never knew it was her until he poop appearing in my sewing room. That's where she sunbathed. Was scheduled to go back to the vet right before Mother's Day and we did not make it. That night I watched her go in Respiratory Distress and could not do anything about it. I placed all of her favorite things around her and monitored her throughout the night. I called the one animal hospital and they told me that I would not get her body back, to bury at home, that they would keep it and place her in their pet Cemetary or cremate her. I chose to keep her here to pass away, this was her home. I watched her die, I cried and prayed to God that he heal her and keep her here with me that I still needed her. He kept her here 8 hours until he took her away from me. We had one hell of a storm roll in. A torrential downpour at 8 am when I found her. She was on her way to find me. The under part of her was still warm and an imprint of her body on the rug. The storm took my Storm. We buried her in the yard, where she gazed out the window at the birds. I am planting flowers on her grave and putting 2 colorful landscaping lights to mark her burial. I'm so lost and distraught right now.
Thanks for reading my story.
I wanted to add (but couldn't at the time, my son woke up and was hungry) that she was an indoor cat and spayed at an early age. This was the recommended age that our old veterinarian told me and I can't remember if it was 6 months or a year or somewhere in between without digging into my files. She never had kittens of her own but she went in heat once.
