I stumbled on this site in despair and I knew that there would be people here who understand.
Tiko(Tikki or Peekers was what we liked to call him) was our 2yr. old male tabby cat. I think he had a bit of Maine Coon in him and a bit of dog, too..lol. He was a gentle, laid back guy who liked to lick noses and play with the dogs. He had beautiful tabby cats stripes, but with a full breast of white on his chest and paws. He also had some red and brown markings on his face. We got him and his sister, Evee when they were 6 weeks old. Although he liked to play with his sister, I often thought the thought he was a dog. He loved to lay with the dogs, rub up on them, & play with them in the yard. He drank out of their water bowl and I sometimes caught him eating dog food on occasion...lol
Sunday Tiko had an awful bout of the sneezes, so when he started to act a bit strange on Monday, I chalked it up to him not feeling well with a cold. He would walk a bit, then lay down and meow when anyone touched him or if the dogs went near him.
The next day(tuesday) was my daughter's birthday. Tiko went out on the porch with the dogs and he wasn't meowing, so I figured he was ok and we continued with the birthday party. Later that evening, he was hiding behind the chairs ouside and wouldn't come in. When I went to pick him up I noticed that he was breathing a bit heavy and then he trew up. My vet was closed by then, so we rushed him to a 24hr. emergency hospital.
There they told me he had a urethral block and would require a 24-48 hour stay. The vet explained the procedure and gave me an estimated cost...$700 to $1,100 or more, depending!......I almost died when she told me that! They said they required a deposit, so I figured I could put some money down and then make payments....WRONG...They wanted a $700 cash/debit payment! I explained that I simply did not have that kind of money. The vet asked what I could afford, so I told them $300. The vet then told me that for $298 they could do the catheter and meds for a few hours then I could bring him home and follow up with my vet in 3-5 days....So, this was my only option.
Tiko was pretty much sedated when I got him home late that night. I kept him on my bed with me. In the morning, he made it to his litterbox and peed. The rest of the afternoon, he slept peacefully. All the while, my dog, Angel keeping a watchful eye on him. She would lay with him and lick his ears. His sister cat, Evee sniffed at him and hissed, wondering what to make of all of this.
Around 6pm, Tiko still wobby from the sedation, tried to get to the litterbox again. I helped him in and he managed to get himself out and lay down in the hallway. A while later I noticed that he was breathing a bit heavy and meowed a few times. It was very hot that day and my A/C kept blowing a fuse. So I decided to take him up on my bed with the A/C kicking to keep him cool.....I checked on m him several times and noticed that he wasn't responding to me like he was earlier in the day...He should have been coming out of the sedation by now...I knew in my heart that something was not right.
I asked my 14ye. old son to help me put him in a box, just in case...I knew it didn't look good, but there was always hope. We put a big fluffy towel in the box and placed him in, my son saying, "Don't worry, Tikki will be just fine I know it." We put him in and as we pet him a few times, he took his last breath...
My children were devastated, especially my 10 yr. old son who picked Tiko from the litter. He told Tiko that God would yake care of him until he made it to heaven to see him again and then he cried, "Who's gonna lick my nose now?"
We burried Tikki in a little spot in the garden. The kids made him a little cross and are coping well now. I, on the other hand am racked with guilt! Maybe if I had noticed the signs earlier? Maybe if I had somehow FOUND the money to keep him in the hospital? Maybe if I had taken him to my vet?
What if? What if? It is hardest at night when Evee looks for her playmate, when no one greets me on the porch with nose kisses and when Angel, my dog, looks at the small spot in the graden wondering where her buddy has gone...................
I am so SORRY, Tiko...Please forgive me..........
Tiko(Tikki or Peekers was what we liked to call him) was our 2yr. old male tabby cat. I think he had a bit of Maine Coon in him and a bit of dog, too..lol. He was a gentle, laid back guy who liked to lick noses and play with the dogs. He had beautiful tabby cats stripes, but with a full breast of white on his chest and paws. He also had some red and brown markings on his face. We got him and his sister, Evee when they were 6 weeks old. Although he liked to play with his sister, I often thought the thought he was a dog. He loved to lay with the dogs, rub up on them, & play with them in the yard. He drank out of their water bowl and I sometimes caught him eating dog food on occasion...lol
Sunday Tiko had an awful bout of the sneezes, so when he started to act a bit strange on Monday, I chalked it up to him not feeling well with a cold. He would walk a bit, then lay down and meow when anyone touched him or if the dogs went near him.
The next day(tuesday) was my daughter's birthday. Tiko went out on the porch with the dogs and he wasn't meowing, so I figured he was ok and we continued with the birthday party. Later that evening, he was hiding behind the chairs ouside and wouldn't come in. When I went to pick him up I noticed that he was breathing a bit heavy and then he trew up. My vet was closed by then, so we rushed him to a 24hr. emergency hospital.
There they told me he had a urethral block and would require a 24-48 hour stay. The vet explained the procedure and gave me an estimated cost...$700 to $1,100 or more, depending!......I almost died when she told me that! They said they required a deposit, so I figured I could put some money down and then make payments....WRONG...They wanted a $700 cash/debit payment! I explained that I simply did not have that kind of money. The vet asked what I could afford, so I told them $300. The vet then told me that for $298 they could do the catheter and meds for a few hours then I could bring him home and follow up with my vet in 3-5 days....So, this was my only option.
Tiko was pretty much sedated when I got him home late that night. I kept him on my bed with me. In the morning, he made it to his litterbox and peed. The rest of the afternoon, he slept peacefully. All the while, my dog, Angel keeping a watchful eye on him. She would lay with him and lick his ears. His sister cat, Evee sniffed at him and hissed, wondering what to make of all of this.
Around 6pm, Tiko still wobby from the sedation, tried to get to the litterbox again. I helped him in and he managed to get himself out and lay down in the hallway. A while later I noticed that he was breathing a bit heavy and meowed a few times. It was very hot that day and my A/C kept blowing a fuse. So I decided to take him up on my bed with the A/C kicking to keep him cool.....I checked on m him several times and noticed that he wasn't responding to me like he was earlier in the day...He should have been coming out of the sedation by now...I knew in my heart that something was not right.
I asked my 14ye. old son to help me put him in a box, just in case...I knew it didn't look good, but there was always hope. We put a big fluffy towel in the box and placed him in, my son saying, "Don't worry, Tikki will be just fine I know it." We put him in and as we pet him a few times, he took his last breath...
My children were devastated, especially my 10 yr. old son who picked Tiko from the litter. He told Tiko that God would yake care of him until he made it to heaven to see him again and then he cried, "Who's gonna lick my nose now?"
We burried Tikki in a little spot in the garden. The kids made him a little cross and are coping well now. I, on the other hand am racked with guilt! Maybe if I had noticed the signs earlier? Maybe if I had somehow FOUND the money to keep him in the hospital? Maybe if I had taken him to my vet?
What if? What if? It is hardest at night when Evee looks for her playmate, when no one greets me on the porch with nose kisses and when Angel, my dog, looks at the small spot in the graden wondering where her buddy has gone...................
I am so SORRY, Tiko...Please forgive me..........
