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- Oct 3, 2022
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I had to let Earl go on Friday. He found me about 6 years ago, by repeatedly showing up in my backyard. I have 3 indoor cats, Eva, Jude, and Inman. Inman would always let me know when Earl showed up by meowing and rubbing up against the sliding door. Well, I'm a suckered so I started leaving food out. He didn't have a name at this point, and would take off as soon as I opened the door. He would come back and eat and lounge, but would take off whenever I opened the door. I noticed he was still intact, so made plans to trap and release. After that unpleasant experience, I didn't see him for a few days, but he came back and I continued to feed him. It took about 3 months before he would let me touch him. Eventually he would sit on my lap, and became a friendly and gentle friend. He would not stick around if anyone else came over, so none of my family or friends ever got the opportunity to meet him. Just me.
I wanted so badly to bring him inside, but the three indoors were a concern. Would bad behaviors start happening? Like spraying, or fighting? Would Earl want to go out? If so, would he bring in fleas or disease to the other three? I decided that he would be my outdoor guy. I built a cozy shelter to protect him from the cold and wet, and got him a kitty condo. He was a happy cat.
Three years on, he had issues with his left eye... I took him to the vet, and they prescribed drops. It got a bit better, and then just stayed the same for the past 4 years. A very slight bulge, and a little bit of white film(?). He could still see out of the eye. At the time of diagnosis, the vet suggested enucleation. I was not going to put an outdoor cat through that, unless absolutely necessary.
At the beginning of this past September, Earl started losing his balance a little bit, and had a slight head tilt. I immediately took him to the vet, who diagnosed an ear infection. Earl was given convenia antibiotic, steroid, and ear drops. There were no other tests done. At the follow-up appointment 2 weeks later, Earl seemed to have improved a bit... he got another dose of convenia, and was to continue the ear drops for another 2 weeks, and then anotherfollow-up. I gave him the ear drops for another week. He began to really fight me on it, and his balance was getting worse, and his head tilt was more pronounced. I came home from work on Wednesday and found him in the bushes...he did not want to come out, so I reached in lifted him out. He could barely stand when I put him on the ground, and seemed disoriented. I moved him to his food bowl and he ate, but with great distress...the head tilt was now causing the whole side of his face to be in his food. He wobbled over to his litter area, fell a couple of times, did his business and made it back to his kitty condo.
It was time. He was not going to come back from this. I broke down, knowing that I would have to let him go.
I was thankfully able to have a vet come to my home to help Earl transition. He passed peacefully, with me by his side, rubbing his little head just how he liked.
Now...the could haves, should haves, are getting to me. Could I have made him an indoor cat with my other three? Should I have had his eye removed years ago? Would that have made a difference? Would he have suffered more, back then?
I'm so sorry Earl, if I made the wrong choices. You were my dear friend and I'm so sorry your last month was so uncomfortable, with vet visits, drugs and ear drops. I miss you, and I love you...please forgive me.
I wanted so badly to bring him inside, but the three indoors were a concern. Would bad behaviors start happening? Like spraying, or fighting? Would Earl want to go out? If so, would he bring in fleas or disease to the other three? I decided that he would be my outdoor guy. I built a cozy shelter to protect him from the cold and wet, and got him a kitty condo. He was a happy cat.
Three years on, he had issues with his left eye... I took him to the vet, and they prescribed drops. It got a bit better, and then just stayed the same for the past 4 years. A very slight bulge, and a little bit of white film(?). He could still see out of the eye. At the time of diagnosis, the vet suggested enucleation. I was not going to put an outdoor cat through that, unless absolutely necessary.
At the beginning of this past September, Earl started losing his balance a little bit, and had a slight head tilt. I immediately took him to the vet, who diagnosed an ear infection. Earl was given convenia antibiotic, steroid, and ear drops. There were no other tests done. At the follow-up appointment 2 weeks later, Earl seemed to have improved a bit... he got another dose of convenia, and was to continue the ear drops for another 2 weeks, and then anotherfollow-up. I gave him the ear drops for another week. He began to really fight me on it, and his balance was getting worse, and his head tilt was more pronounced. I came home from work on Wednesday and found him in the bushes...he did not want to come out, so I reached in lifted him out. He could barely stand when I put him on the ground, and seemed disoriented. I moved him to his food bowl and he ate, but with great distress...the head tilt was now causing the whole side of his face to be in his food. He wobbled over to his litter area, fell a couple of times, did his business and made it back to his kitty condo.
It was time. He was not going to come back from this. I broke down, knowing that I would have to let him go.
I was thankfully able to have a vet come to my home to help Earl transition. He passed peacefully, with me by his side, rubbing his little head just how he liked.
Now...the could haves, should haves, are getting to me. Could I have made him an indoor cat with my other three? Should I have had his eye removed years ago? Would that have made a difference? Would he have suffered more, back then?
I'm so sorry Earl, if I made the wrong choices. You were my dear friend and I'm so sorry your last month was so uncomfortable, with vet visits, drugs and ear drops. I miss you, and I love you...please forgive me.