Snowy - nearly a year on

Today is the first of three poignant memories for me. Snowy was diagnosed with raised liver enzymes 5 months after getting her - she had issues with sickness, diarrhea and weight loss, so was at the vets lots with her. In November, I noticed she had lost a lot of weight, and a couple of people who saw her tried to convince me there was nothing wrong (my neighbour even tried to tell me it was just cos she was old!! I did say that she also has liver probs, and that causes weight issues), and I reluctantly put it off till their six monthly check up - 2 weeks before, she became an even fussier eater, and even the usual tuna and cat milk didn't go down, so she went for another blood test (everytime she went to the vets she was pre-starved to be on the safe side!!) - they came back showing cholangiohepatitis, and she was put on some medication, but she was so unhappy on it she stopped purring and hated me - I live on my own, so I couldn't have her that scared of me, it wasn't fair. Today is the anniversary of the check up to see if the medication had helped, and I was told that as she wouldn't take it, and her liver felt slightly worse, there was nothing more could be done, and as I knew her better than the vets, it was up to me when I thought she didn't have enough quality of life. What a good start to my X Mas hols - in a strange co-incidence, my hols are the same dates this year. Fortunately all 6 seem well this year.

Oh I`m so sorry. Having hard times ,or the anniversary of sad issues near Christmas sure does make it difficult, does`nt it?
I`m glad everybody else is fine...and I hope you end up having a great Christmas and a Happy New Year in spite if it all.
Linda

Fortunately I don't like Christmas anyway (and did get a good X Mas present from my scared foster).

I am so sorry...

My friend offered to do me a collage ages ago (I have a photo frame with all my permanent cats in, but nothing with pics of the fosters) and last night I decided to pull a few photos together and found some of Snowy that I haven't seen since about Feb. i could smile at them fortunately. I am thinking about her lots at the moment, suppose I am just thinking about what I was doing this time last year - mainly crying!!

Originally Posted by booktigger

and last night I decided to pull a few photos together and found some of Snowy that I haven't seen since about Feb. i could smile at them fortunately. I am thinking about her lots at the moment

Click to expand...

enjoy those special happy memories

I've lost a lot of fosters, too. And the first kitty we had planned to keep from our first litter! It is very painful to lose one after another.

But due to your love of cats, and your fostering, you have saved so many lives. And the ones like Snowy, who had to go, at least knew real love and care while they were here.

Bless you for what you do. And may you have a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.

That has just set me off again!! I have lost 2 cats this year, and my neighbours have lost a cat and a dog, both of which I loved, so it has been a hard year really.
Yes, quite a few of the cats I have taken in wouldn't have been here if it hadn't been for me - and however short a space of time I had with them, they got love and affection, which is why I do it. I am pleased at the moment as my latest foster was taken on as the rescue didn't think she had much longer, and in just a few weeks, she has gone from barely eating, to wolfing her food, cleaning more, playing and showing a real interest in life - what better thanks could I ask for?

Well, another poignant memory today. I ended up taking Snowy to the vets last new years eve (didn't want to, I wanted to give her the weekend, but my neighbour persuaded me - she thought as it was a different vet they may say something different. Like that was likely, she had a liver prob that hadn't responded to medication) and they told me she wouldn't be in pain but she would feel like she had the hangover from hell constantly. As I rarely get hangovers, I didn't know just how bad that was. They gave her sub-q fluids as they didn't think she was ready to go - I cried all the way home, and the majority of that day, as I felt like I had only done it as I couldn't bear to let her go on new years eve and that I was only prolonging the inevitable. I went out, and got very drunk, and was so ill on new years day that I couldn't even have a sip of water without ending up with my head over the toilet for about 2 hours. Made me realise that if that was how Snowy felt, I was being so cruel to her, so I decided that when I had to take her back on Tues, she wasn't coming back with me.

When the tears come for my Candy, I'll be thinking of Snowy and you as well.

WEll, this time last year was Snowys appointment, although as they had squeezed me in at the end of surgery we did have to wait a while (That was awful). On a plus side, 2 people actually commented on how beautiful Snowy was, I didn't have the heart to say why she was there (and my neighbour had said the day before that she looked like she had a good quality of life) - however well she may have looked, I couldn't let her go in if she felt like **** constantly. The vet actually did a check up first, and asked if I was sure - her liver felt worse though, and if it had got worse in 2 weeks, she was obviously deteriorating quickly, and I am glad that, while she could have had another few days or a week, she went with dignity, and with someone who she loved with her, rather than me take her home cos I could and risk her suffering all day/night and go alone. It was odd cos although I was in tears most of the fortnight, and could barely see the consent form through my tears (good job they knew me, don't think my signature looked normal), I was fine afterwards, I think it was because I knew she was no longer suffering.
RIP my little snugglebunny. It took me so long to adjust to being able to sit how I liked on the sofa, and to sleep where I liked in bed, without having to adjust myself for you. As much as it annoyed me at times (as did your sqwaking), I would do anything to have you back. The house was so quiet, and it was weird being able to have a lie in. I have doubted my decision at times, but I hope you are looking down on me, free of pain and suffering. I think the fact that you looked well was hard - you even got two compliments in the vets, even though I couldn't tell them why you were there (although one of them did find out later, I helped her cat - am sure you would be pleased). Even Auntie Carol thought I should have given you longer, but I loved you too much to let you carry on suffering, and risk the chance of you going alone and in pain.
Some pics - the one of her and Ginger is her last night, she really did still look well. Don't know when the one of her on the sofa was taken. The one of her on my legs was to prove that it didn't matter how I sat, she had to sit on me (and that still makes me smile!!)- that was taken at the beginning of Nov, just a few weeks before she started showing symptoms of not being well again