- Joined
- Apr 15, 2018
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- Purraise
- 5
The vet warned that because of the severity of the heart murmur, there could be complications in the future for Swiss. The vet said there was only a slim chance that he could outgrow it and it could be less severe because of the nature of this murmur.They were both very active kittens as the weeks went on and they started feeling better. Swiss was very adventurous and outgoing and Colby was a little more timid and would follow behind in new situations or meeting new people. Swiss' adventurous ways got him into a bit of trouble a few weeks after I found them. He was playing and running around and jumped off the couch, landing badly, and pretty much sprained his ankle. He had several different casts on for the course of a week, as he kept taking them off, but by then he was able to walk and run on it without it seeming to bother him.
Swiss and Colby were by each other's sides almost all of the time, whether they were eating or drinking from the same bowl, looking out the window, playing, sleeping etc. Swiss did have less stamina than Colby, would get tired easier and start breathing quicker if they were playing a lot, so I tried my best to keep Colby busy by entertaining him with other toys or the laser pointer to let Swiss get a break. Then Swiss would be back at it and ready to play again. He was a super gentle cat and never used his claws or teeth. He loved his belly rubbed and if I were in the other rolr and I snalesn my fingers, he would come running to me for pets. He would hear my car pull up and would be waiting in the window next to my stairs and gently headbutting and rubbing against it as I walked up my stairs. When I would open the door there he would be right at my feet, rubbing against my legs and then plopping down for pets. He loved to drink water out of faucets, had a cat water fountain and would drink fresh water off the shower curtain as he stood on the tub wall while I took my shower. He loved little soft cat pom toys and would carry them around and hide them from Colby. One of my favorite things is that he would headbutt my face when I went to give him a kiss on the head and would do it two, three, four times while purring so loud. He would sleep by my feet, around my head while on my pillow or on a pillow next to me. He was always wherever I was in the house and would sleep up my head on top of the couch or at my feet if I was at the table. He was such a social cat and very attached to me (probably from all of my bottle feeding and eye-dropping of pedialyte!). He would purr from a single pet or just from me talking to him.
I brought Swiss into the vet twice outside of their normal appointments because of his heart rate seeming to be elevated and the first time (around 9 months) he was put on a pill to help and it seemed to for a while. At his first yearly check-up, the vet noticed that the heart murmur had gotten worse. Again, the vet said that Swiss would probably not live a long life because there was a lot going on related to his heart besides the murmur. At around 18 months, I got home and saw right away that Swiss wasn't feeling well. He had been fine that morning but was having trouble breathing that evening. He had some fluid in his lungs and was put on a medication and a diuretic for a week and his breathing improved and he seemed back to almost normal. The last two/three months I had noticed a slight change in Swiss and that he slept more than Colby and didn't play as much but he was still a very happy and playful cat. I had a feeling something was happening, but was hoping I was wrong and that part of it was him growing up and not being a kitten anymore.
I was out of town last weekend (22 months) and when I got home, Swiss didn't meet me at the door. I knew something was obviously wrong and I called his name several times. He meowed and came to my bedroom door, breathing quicker than usual.The vet said that he was in a deep stage of congestive heart failure and had a lot of fluid in his lungs and would try to see if they could help. All day, I was anxiously waiting for an update and had a sinking feeling in my chest. That evening, the vet called and was not hopeful of further treatments or medications and even if it did help for a short time, it would reoccur again and he would be uncomfortable and in pain. I made the decision for humane euthanasia and went to the clinic shortly after talking with the vet. Swiss was so excited to see me and began purring, rubbing his face on me and doing his little headbutts to my face. It only lasted a minute or so before he got tired. I knew that by looking at him and seeing him struggle, I was making the right decision for him, no matter how much it hurt for me. I couldn't bear the thought of him going through other procedures and being in pain just to prolong. Even if he did get to come home, the thought of him suffering while I was gone for the day was not an option. gI feltuilty enough that I had been gone that weekend and came home to him like that. He took his last breath while in my arms and getting pets to his head.
Colby was not doing well with being alone as he and Swiss had always been together. He was meowing and wandering the house that whole day when Swiss had been at the clinic and that evening after Swiss was gone. Even though Swiss had been less active in the past couple months, they still spent a lot of time with each other. The vet had a year old female cat that was looking for a home and said I could try to see if that helped Colby. They are still slowly getting introduced to each other, but Colby is acting almost completely normal and back to eating and drinking well. She is not concerned about him and is friendly, but he is still unsure of her (probably because Swiss was the more alpha, outgoing of the two and Colby followed him). I am hopeful that they will be friends in time and even though I feel guilty bringing another cat in shortly after Swiss passed away, I do feel that it was the right decision for Colby.
It has almost been a week, but the pain is still fresh and I stil cry several times a day. I expect to see Swiss waiting in the window when I come home and for him to be next to me when I wake up in the morning. I feel guilty for not doing something sooner and wonder if something could have been done to give him more time. I feel guilty for being gone that weekend and wonder what would have happened if I had been home? Could I have caught it sooner and brought him in for a better outcome? I just feel guilty....not for the decision of euthanasia because that was the right decision, but of things leading up to that day.
Sweet Little Swiss,
I will always miss you and I am thankful for the many memories that I will always treasure with such a short time together.
June 2016-April 2018
