Chaco Bell, Minneapolis, Minnesota, December
2008, photo © 2008-2009 by QuoinMonkey. All
rights reserved.
It’s still the dead of Winter in Minnesota, and we’ve got the temperatures to prove it. How do you know it’s January in Minnesota?
- it’s -8 when you get up in the morning (that’s on a good day, without wind chills)
- running water (if you’ve got water at all) sputters and spits through sluggish, half-frozen pipes
- water turned off from 10:30pm Friday to Noon the following Saturday, after you are greeted post-work by a broken water main that creates an ice skating rink on the street in front of your house. All we needed was Kristi Yamaguchi (did you know she was one of the first to be photographed by Annie Liebovitz for the ‘Milk Mustache’ campaign?).
- the annual Art Shanty Projects kicks off on Medicine Lake
- the U.S. Pond Hockey Association holds its annual tournament on frigid Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis (See the winners of the nearly 1,600 pond hockey fanatics that participated in the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships of 2009)
- close to 9,000 anglers gather on Gull Lake’s Hole in the Day Bay north of Brainerd for the World’s largest ice contest — the Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza (from an aerial view, you could swear those were gopher holes!)
Meantime, life inside home and hearth goes on. The week before Winter Solstice, our middle-aged cat Chaco (named after the canyon in New Mexico, elevation: 6200 feet) became seriously ill; we got him into the vet on December 18th. By the weekend, he needed to go to emergency care for IV fluids, medication, and monitoring, then back to our clinic on Monday. So began the last 6 weeks of caring for a chronically ill cat.
On our last visit to Dr. Heidi, she checked his blood again, and after treating a massive infection with three prescriptions of antibiotics, it seems his numbers are up on the kidneys, yet his anemia remains below the norm. He tires easily, but is eating, drinking, sometimes playing. He’s gained 1.2 lbs. of the 2 lbs. he lost. But there’s that nagging anemia.
The problem with anemia in cats is that it’s hard to diagnose the origin; it can be anything, including chronic kidney disease. We’ve elected home treatment for another month to see if we can get his anemia under control. This means continuing antibiotics, vitamin paste, subcutaneous fluids every 2 or 3 days, prescription foods tailored for kidneys (rich in lean meat, low in fats and additives), and monitoring his habits and schedule.
Chaco — “Room To Heal”, Minneapolis,
Minnesota, December 2008, photo ©
2008-2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights
reserved.
Those of you who have cared for ill animals know the drill. It’s good to call on friends who’ve been through a “cat crisis” when you need to make hard financial and emotional decisions involving care for ill pets. It’s truly a miracle that Chaco is alive. Right before Christmas, our vet told us the staff was begging her to put him down. But she saw a few signs of hope in his numbers; otherwise, I would be doing a very different kind of post.
The bottom line with seriously ill pets, is that it’s a very personal decision you must make about how much money to spend (prepare to dip into your savings), what kind of long-term care you are willing to sustain, and if the animal’s quality of life can be maintained without pain and hardship on either side. Tough choices.
Liz and I take it a day at a time. And are happy for the time we have left with Chaco, whatever that may be. On March 22nd, he’ll be 13 years old. With Liz caring for him most of his life, he’s lived like a prince!
We’ve learned quite a bit about cat care over the last month. Perhaps others can benefit from what we’ve been through.
Creature Comforts – 10 Cat Care Tips
Below is a short list of Creature Comforts that have made our lives easier over the last 6 weeks of caring for a chronically ill cat. Some can be found around the house. Others take a little cash up front, but we found it helpful to stock up on items that make long-term medical care more bearable for both cats and humans.
We created a home base (see photo above) tucked away in the bedroom where we could monitor Chaco, and followed his movements closely during the first few weeks. Creating a space where he felt safe was important. We also set aside a centralized place in the kitchen for his food, meds, syringes, vitamins, and a high place to hang the Sub-Q bag. Below are other ideas and product brands, but experiment and find what works best for you.
Products and items we’ve found to be helpful during the critical first week:
- Complete For Cats, A Fresh Approach To Home, disposable litter box — portable, made with 100% biodegradable, recycled paper with a unique, patented material that will not leak, tear, or shred.
- ExquisiCat Scoop, hard clumping, easy scooping litter — or Scoop Away Odor Control litter. Make clean-up as easy as you can; you’re going to be tired!
- Simply Out! 30 floor protection pads — extra thick, ultra absorbent, fragrance free, leak-proof. Treated to attract pets, controls odors, no leaks, guaranteed (pet training pads but work great when pets are sick).
- Old towels and rags, plastic tarp as a base — and sanitary wipes like Scott MoistWipes. You may go through a lot of these.
- Heating pad, water bottle, reflective heater — to keep everything warmed up and cozy!
Products and items we’ve found to be helpful over the long haul:
- Sub-Q fluids and fresh needles on hand, along with web links to videos on giving subcutaneous fluids — Videos can help augment the vet training you receive before bringing your pet home. We found that watching a few different videos gave us a better-rounded picture of the process, and details of ways to handle problems that cropped up along the way. (If you are needle phobic, Sub-Q is NOT for you. You may have to pay your vet to administer fluids.)
- Stash of prescription foods (wet & dry), medications, and droppers for water and meds — cats like food, meds, and Sub-Q fluids better at room temperature. Experiment with different prescription foods until you find a few your cat likes. Two of our cats will drink from a dropper (good to know when they don’t feel well enough to drink on their own).
- SmartyKat Kitty Canyon Pet Bed — all of our cats love this. It’s plush, deep, and flips inside-out for a quick style change! It’s also Eco-friendly, made of EcoRest fibers, using 8 recycled 1-liter soda bottles. In the beginning, when Chaco was having trouble walking, carrying him this way gave us more mobility.
- Collar with bell to track movements in the night — Liz had one of Chaco’s old collars around and we strapped it on so we could track where he was during the night.
- Keep a handwritten log of your cat’s progress, from beginning to end — you can’t keep all this in your head! We made up a grid with categories for Meds, Food, Sub-Q, Bathroom Habits. You’ll also want to keep your veterinary and emergency clinics’ numbers handy at home, in your cell phone, and in your wallet. We have made a lot of phone calls!
I know there are many who have done long-term care for aging or sick pets. If you’ve got any other cat or pet care tips, we’d love to hear them. Please feel free to add them to this post. And remember, cat care is stressful, so take advantage of all the winter sports the Great White North has to offer and get some exercise!
Miracle Cat, Minneapolis, Minnesota,
December 2008, photo © 2008-2009 by
QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
Helpful Links:
- Feline Kidney Disease/Ch5-SubQ Fluids – video on Subcutaneous Fluid Therapy for Cats
- Mar-Vista Animal Medical Center Home Education Series – Administering Subcutaneous Fluids – most detailed video on Sub-Q, demonstrated by a veterinarian
- DIY: Sub-Q Fluids – refresher course on giving Sub-Q fluids to rabbits
-posted on red Ravine, Monday, January 26th, 2009
QM, thank you for the update on Chaco! What a beauty! Our cats are at least 5 years older than Chaco & can see the changes in their lifestyles over the years. Uno no longer cares for the outdoors, though she still goes out daily to do her kitty business. But, she knocks (seriously) at the screen door to come back in. If we don’t let her in immediatly, she has found a way to hang at the window of the door. But, both cats gravitate to our fireplace for warmth. They lay down, far enough apart because they despise each other.
Good cat care tips & links in this post.
Though I have never had to put an animal down, I dread the day that it might happen. I witnessed the very sudden death of our Black Lab, Ebony, & both J & I cried for months. We had her cremated. My best friend had to have her beloved cattledog Snots (yep, that’s what we called her, though not her given name) down 2 years ago the day after Thanksgiving, due to kidney disease. My friend called me upon returning home & we spoke & cried for an hour. What really got me was that my friend was given a moment alone with Snots, held her & asked the dogs forgiveness for what she had to do. She also held her as the Vet administered the shot, she told Snots to go be with God. I’m welling up with tears as I type. D
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diddy, thanks. It’s hard to describe how ill Chaco was. I mean when we were at the vet the day they staff wanted to put him down, he was barely moving or breathing, and I thought for sure we were not going to be taking him home. It was really awful. But that was the day we went home with antibiotics, with instructions to bring him back in for check-up and fluids. Then we learned to do the Sub-Q, he responded, and so far, he’s getting better. And all of that over the Holidays when schedules were crazy.
It’s tough with pets because they can’t talk to you or tell you where it hurts like humans. And cats also like to hide when they are sick, get very internal.
I remember Ebony and how hard that was for you and J. I had to put one cat down, my Siamese named Sasha. It’s been quite a few years, I think it was 1992. She was only 13 years old, too, (middle-aged for a cat) and had kidney disease. I was so sad that day. I stood by her at the vet, too, that day when they put her down. Then I ended up taking her home and burying her next to another cat I had on a friend’s land. There are tough choices to be made with pets. It can be very hard to know the right things to do. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
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QM, first I just want to say that Chaco is a very handsome cat. He’s so sleek and has a chiseled face.
That your vet saw a few signs of hope the day the rest of her staff strongly believed it was a futile hope to save him—well, that was a blessing. And although it seems that the care-taking since has been somewhat complex and certainly challenging, you and Liz seem to be working as a team, taking the time to learn as much as you can and making some simple investments and little changes to lighten the load as much as possible. I imagine that your approach has also helped reduce the enormous stress that comes with having a chronically ill pet.
Jim and I have cried and anguished over pets who are very sick and in some cases dying. After our good friend who is a vet came to our house and euthanized the first dog I ever gave to Jim, his name was Roger, Jim vowed to never put down a dog again. Rudy died naturally, blind and with all of us surrounding him. But of course, when a pet is sufferring endlessly, the only humane thing to do is end the misery.
But I am so relieved and so happy for you all that Chaco has made this level of recovery. I hope she gets beyond the anemia. She’s lucky to have such loving parents as the two of you.
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yb, thanks so much for your kind words. Very sweet. It sure has had its challenges, that’s for sure. There were times in the beginning when each of us would grieve, kind of break down, knowing we were probably going to lose him. Fortunately, those times seem to alternate back and forth between us. It worked out well. You don’t really know how you’re going to handle it, especially in relationship to a partner or spouse, until it happens.
Putting down an animal is difficult. When we thought we might have to put Chaco down, it’s kind of a stunned feeling when the realization hits you. Our vet was careful not to tell us what the staff thought that day, until after Chaco had started to recover. I remember when she said it…Liz and I both looked at each other with a sinking feeling, knowing how close we actually came to having to make that choice.
Our vet is firm believer in not letting animals suffer for the sake of their human owners. She made that clear to us. I was grateful that we could work with our vets as well as we were able to. Chaco actually saw all 4 vets in our clinic over the last 6 weeks. I find that they are each good at different things. It’s good to find a vet you can work with, one who communicates well and can read the numbers, especially when things get down to the wire, and instant decisions need to be made.
BTW, it’s been a while since I started this post. It probably doesn’t reflect the gravity of how hard it was emotionally at the time. But I wanted to focus more on Chaco’s recovery. There is a chance we still have a long way to go with him, depending on what happens with his anemia and kidneys the next time we go to the vet. But I wanted to get a post up, something I could come back and visit if something happens again and he heads downhill.
The strangest thing has been learning the Sub-Q, at least for me. Liz does the needle part; I’m more of the get ready person, then the holder and comforter while she inserts the needle. I know it’s not a big deal for those in the medical profession. But every time she asks me to hold the needle for a minute, I get kind of antsy. Not for the faint-hearted!
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QM, yes the loss of Ebony was heartbreaking. After her death it took J & I over a year to break down & get another Lab. Abbey was only 8 weeks old when we bought her. After the cats & dogs are gone, we have vowed not to get any more pets. (But, I really do want a Yorkshire Terrier). I won’t do it. You and Liz have been good parents to Chaco. Animals know that. Love, hope, & dedication mean so much. Bless you both!
Snots, my friends dog has been replaced with another cattledog, which was flown to them from from the west, by a reputable breeder. Her name is Buckaboo. She is still in the active puppy stages of life, but I know she will be loyal & well mannered in a few years. Abbey, who knew Snots well, drolled the night they brought “Boo” here from the airport. I have to think she thought they shrank Snots! I wrote a piece about Snots & almost sent it you, but couldn’t. She was a regular here & at our camp. At the time, it was just too difficult.
Abbey & Uno have caused us great concern in the past. So difficult to go through, but, family is family.
You must have a wonderful vet (we do also). So did my friend, who spent almost $3000.00 in surgery & meds 8 months prior to the verdict. BTW, her vet cried with her when the moment came. D
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QM, I know my last comment was long, but I wanted to add, that we had Ebony cremated, because at the time we lived at the farm. She was 80 lbs. & burying her would have meant that she would suffer the fact that she would most likely be dug up by all of the foxes that shared our space. Her cremation was more expensive, because it is her ashes alone. Those ashes now resides in a canister in our den, but a photo of her remains in our living room & will until our deaths. D
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WOW, QM, what a thoughtful, detailed post to chronicle this most difficult time for you and to support others who may be on this hard path, now or in the future.
What really struck me, at first glance, is how Chaco looks like the reincarnation of my 1970’s cat, Alfonzo. Alf was a great cat, who lived a long life and died peacefully of old age. Blessings that Chaco might be able to do the same.
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I can tell you cherish the days with Chaco, be they frigid or balmy.
That last photo of him with the medicine dropper is so sweet.
Your process of how to best care for your kittie is thoughtful and touching.
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diddy, there’s never a comment that’s too long on red Ravine. 8) Hey, thanks for all you have written about your experience with your own pets and your friends’ pets on this post. You know, one of the things that Liz and I did when Chaco first got sick, was head out into cyberspace and try to find others who had gone through something similar with their pet. There was one blog where they kept a diary from the time their pet got sick, to the end of his life. It was detailed, and really helpful with the medical and emotional aspects of chronic illness and giving Sub-Q fluids.
I had not thought about the foxes eating the remains of a pet that was buried. Good point. If we had to put Chaco down, we would have him cremated, too, and spread the ashes out somewhere. BTW, it’s amazing how much surgery costs can add up to be, and your $3000 number seems in the ballpark. And if you have to take an animal to a specialist like the University of Minnesota for specialized care, count on a thousand just to walk in the door and get started.
I recommend that people who are considering owning pets set aside a savings fund just for their animals. It can help when it gets down to times when you have to make crucial decisions. Money almost always factors into these decisions, along with quality of life. The savings aspect can really help with that.
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breathepeace, thank you! That’s pretty cool that Chaco looks like your 1970’s cat, Alfonzo. Hey, maybe Chaco is reincarnated Alfonzo. 8) Chaco has the personality of a Siamese. In my experience, they seem to be a little more aloof than other cats I’ve been around. Liz also knew when she took Chaco home the first time that he came from an abusive family. So he’s got a few old physical injuries from the early part of his life, and is also really hypervigilant to his surroundings, the nervous type. She took him in so he would know something better.
In our household, Mr. StripeyPants is 10 or 11 years old but acts like a kitten most of the time. He’s very affectionate. Kiev, the Madame of the house and only female, was so nurturing to Chaco when he came home from the vet. She would stand guard by him, almost like a vigil, and place her paw on his while he slept that first week when we didn’t know if he would live. StripeyPants wouldn’t even go near Chaco in the beginning, and, in fact, hissed at him. Female cats I’ve been around are naturally more nurturing. Kiev is a Queen but also a sweetie. 8)
Christine, thank you so much. ybonesy mentioned that you recently lost a close pet in your family, and I’m sorry for your loss. Pets add so much to our quality of life. The greatest things are that they are fun and love us unconditionally, something most humans are incapable of. Our lives are so much richer for living with pets.
I have to admit, I wasn’t always a fan. And it wasn’t until early adulthood that I owned my own cat and started to understand the ups and downs of pet ownership. It’s a certain kind of bond that happens that is like no other kind of relationship. I’ve been less likely to warm up to large dogs, but I really like the smaller ones. Liz loves dogs and I think she’d like to own one someday. We’d have to have a bigger house and yard though. I’m leaning toward a lap dog. I think I’d need to spend some more time around dogs and get to know them better. They seem completely different in temperament than cats to me. But maybe that’s just me.
BTW, breathepeace, how did your cat come by the name, Alfonzo? If you come back to this post, I’m sure there is a story there.
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QM, I learned about the foxes because of friends who buried their beagle & it happened to them. They also lived on a farm.
I have never opened the canister with Ebony’s ashes. Can’t & never will. We chose not to spread the ashes because we would eventually move from the farm.
Vet bills can be costly no matter what. But Snots did have to have the surgery done by a specialist in another county. She survived & was doing well, for about 8 months, before the illness finally returned. D
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QM and Liz,
I can still see the elderly lady in the waiting room at the vets office looking into my eyes. She gave me some very good advise. My Rogie, a very energetic cat, was 19 when diagnosed with throat Cancer… something to this very day, I blame on vaccinations. Rogie was a “found cat” from 6 weeks and he was with me from 17 well into my 30’s. He was the “love cat” of my life.
She said in her gentle way, “Honey, when you are in more pain than your pet, it’s time to let them go”…”Don’t ever hang on for selfish reasons”. I tenderly cared for that cat until I could no longer endure…and then I let him go… with my vets help.
I made the most beautiful box for his ashes and have done so with every other cat that I’ve lived with, loved and lost. I figure, in the end, I’ll just have their ashes mixed with mine…Then maybe I’ll have one of my nieces or nephews take us all around the world 😉
You and Liz will know when it’s Chaco’s time and both you and he will know he was loved.
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diddy, I’ve seen that a lot, where animals rally for a bit, then finally succumb to whatever disease they have. It’s hard to know how long we’ll have with Chaco. But, for now, he is stable. We’ve got a call into the vet because he’s through with another run on his antibiotics and I think it’s about time to get his blood work done again. I’m a little scared to see what his numbers are. But I’m hopeful. He’s so much better than he was before!
Heather, thanks so much for your kind words. The woman who spoke to you had wise words, too, what a sweet thing to say. Touching, too. I really like the idea of mixing the ashes of Rogie with your own. And of having a beautiful box or urn. I have to think more about that. A possibility. I know what you mean about the “love cat.” A friend of mine lost her cat, Emi, a few years ago and she was so close to that cat, it just broke her heart. I think Mr. StripeyPants is like that, too. Just something about their little personalities that just sing.
That same friend had a Siamese who was with her for 22 years, from junior high, to, well, however old that makes her. That cat’s name was Chico and she moved from Minnesota to Montana and back to Minnesota with her until she finally died. Cats can really hold on. Thanks for sharing, Heather. I got a little teary when I read the last line. I think we’ll know when it’s time, too.
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That’s amazing, QM—a 22-year-old cat. I had no idea they could live so many years.
The words that Heather shared are, indeed, wise. And the thing is, it is very hard to gauge whether that point in a pet’s life (and dying) has arrived. With our dog, Roger, he had masses all in his stomach. It was bloated to the point where he couldn’t hardly get up. Yet, he was so uncomfortable even lying down. And knowing how much he was sufferring, it was still the hardest decision we made. And I suspect Jim might still regret it. 😦
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well yb, then I’m about to amaze you…
The oldest living cat that I’ve heard of was Creme Puff hailing from Texas. Born on August 3rd 1967, Creme Puff celebrated her 38th birthday in August 2005 and passed away 3 days later. I believe before Creme Puff, it was a jolly old Brit named Spike who lived to 31. The average, non-pedigreed house cat now lives to 15, provided they’re not obese. That’s a heck of a lot of lint rollers…
😉
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Holy Moly, you are kidding me! amazing.
I wonder what’s changed (to cause the cats to not live as long). Or were those two just the exceptions to the rule?
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Heather, that’s unbelievable. A cat that lives to 38 years, or even 31. Hard to imagine. I also didn’t know that 15 was the average age a house cat would live. That doesn’t seem long enough! But then when you think that one human year is many years in a pet’s life, I guess that makes sense. Here’s to Creme Puff and Spike! I wonder how long the average dog lives? Just curious.
Our friends have one of their cats on a diet. And we’ve noticed that Kiev has gained weight since we started feeding Chaco the wet food 6 or 7 weeks ago. When Chaco gets full, we sometimes let Kiev and Pants “clean up.” Suddenly, we realized that we had to monitor Kiev a little more. She’s starting to spread out! We also had a heater in the bedroom which Kiev just loves. So she started to NEVER leave the bedroom. Time for some exercise! 8)
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ybonesy, it’s very hard to gauge. But there comes a point when you just have to trust yourself and your decisions. There were a couple of times when Liz and I were at the vet with Chaco and the vet would give us the medical information, then we’d ask for time to think and talk about it. We’d sequester ourselves in one of their rooms (once I think for 1/2 hour) and just anguish over what to do. There are all kinds of factors that come into play: quality of the pet’s life, how much pain he’s in, the amount of money you are going to sink into it and whether it’s going to help sustain a life, or merely delay the inevitable. Really difficult decisions.
Once we even called our friends from the vet’s office to ask them a few questions. They’ve been through something similar and have ended up taking two of their cats (over the last 7 years or so) to University of Minnesota specialists because their vet had done all she could. One of their cats died there, I think it was cancer that seemed to come out of nowhere. Another went there to be diagnosed and it turned out she had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). With that cat, they are actually able to keep her quality of life up with Sub-Q’s, special diet, and a few medications. But when it flares up, it’s really touch and go.
ybonesy, what would Jim have done differently with your dog? It sounds like the two of you really didn’t have much of a choice. So sad though.
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I honestly don’t think he/we could have done anything differently. I think it just broke his heart to have to do that. But it was our friend, who’s a vet, that came over. She euthanized him as we held him. We buried him in our old place, and nothing ever disturbed the grave, although we had many wildlife in that area.
BTW, when we were deciding to buy this house and whether to go through with it, we actually decided to get out of the contract (this was when we still had a chance to do so without penalty). Much of the decision was just what all had transpired in that house—the birth of our two daughters, plus Roger and Rudy were both buried there. Well, obviously we moved, and the reason is that when we got up in the morning to tell our girls that we were not going to move, they both burst into tears. They had kind of fallen in love with the new house. So we went ahead and did it, and I’m glad we did. But, man, we had very emotional ties to that old place, many good memories.
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QM, I wanted to come back to this post & let you know that I didn’t mean to alarm you with the story of Snots. Her situation involved many more issues. All animals are different. I once relayed the story of a male cat I had, Shag, who also had kidney & urinary tract issues, that eventually resulted in the removal of his penis. He was 10 years old when it all began. He lived to be 21. Proper food, good care, love, & meds for those last 11 years helped.
I think most indoor cats live longer than outdoor ones, which makes sense.
(Uno is living proof that some cats have more than 9 lives.)
I think Chaco is healthy looking & your vet would have given you a different diagnosis if there were no hope. Both you & Liz are doing a wonderful job. Such love!
Please keep us all posted. Warm hugs to all! D
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yb, that’s quite a story about your memories connected to your last home. We’ve written often about how powerful place is to shaping our lives. You seem so settled in your new home now. Do you think about your old place as much as you did before?
The land where I buried my cat Sasha back in the 90’s was up at a friend’s family lake cabin. It’s really common for people to have second homes on one of the many lakes in MN, some more rugged than others. That place had been in her family for 30 or 40 years. Then a few years after I buried Sasha, her parents sold it. They were aging and decided they didn’t want the upkeep anymore. I don’t visit her there now but I know exactly where she is, at least her skeleton. For all the rest, it’s all in the heart.
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diddy, thanks. I didn’t take your comments that way at all. Not to worry. Oh, I remember you talking about Shag, poor guy. But then he lived until 21. Amazing cat! I’ll be sure to keep you posted when we get Chaco back into the vet and see his numbers again. I’m glad I have a place to track it here. It’s helpful for me, too, and I don’t have to just leave random comments on different posts. I can centralize them here.
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Dropping a note here: the Chacster went back to the vet last Thursday (2/5/9) and had more blood drawn. Our vet was out sick with the flu, then fainted during that time and hurt her back (awful!). So she just got back to work last week. Won’t know the results of the latest bloodwork until sometime this week.
His weight is still down a pound, which is strange because he looked like he had gained most of it back. He’s in good spirits. Still a little dehydrated, but eating well, purrs a lot. The vet tech said she couldn’t believe he was the same cat that had almost died in December. More as we get the blood work back this week. 8)
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Great news, QM. Just the fact that they don’t recognize him as the same cat, that alone is immensely promising.
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This IS good news, QM! I am so hopeful. Our vet had a similar reaction to Uno when I ran over her. She told me the following day that if she had 2 nickels to rub together that she wouldn’t have believed the end result. Thinking of you, Liz, & Chaco. D
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QM, I hope all is well with Chaco. Today was a shopping day for me & I was so glad to speak with with an elder check out man. He & his wife are looking for a puppy. She is a dog lover, but he is all about cats. They recently had to have their cat put down after 21 years. He also had kidney issues which began at age 18. They did what you & Liz are doing for Chaco. He told me that for the last 3 years after the diagnosis, that their cat had a remarkable recovery. it took a few months, but I relayed your story. He was so sweet! He said “Tell them not to give up.” He also secretly told me that after his wife gets her puppy, he plans on getting a Maine Coon cat for himself! She has no idea of his plan. D
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diddy, your comment is really encouraging. And it’s almost the exact story that one of the vet tech’s told us yesterday when we stopped to pick up some prescription food for Chaco. She said her parents had the same thing happen and their cat lived another 3 years, too, and did very well. We actually ended up talking to our vet yesterday, too, but I’ll have to come back later to fill in on Chaco’s stats. He’s stable and doing well. But definitely has the beginning of kidney disease. Your story gives me a lot of hope.
Oh, the Maine Coons are so cool! One of our cats, Kiev, is in the doghouse today. She was wandering around like a crazy girl last night and kept me up all night for no apparent reason. She jumped on the bed, knocked the items off of both of our night stands, clawed at the closet door. You name it. Chaco and Mr. StripeyPants slept like babies next to each other on the couch. 8)
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QM, so glad to hear that Chaco is stable. Yes, the clerk gave me hope for all of you!
Shag, my male cat that ended up with kidney disease was a Maine Coon! Huge with beautiful tuffs of fur on the ears & paws! He weighed 25 lbs. & looked even bigger!
Is Kiev the Siamese? I know all about that kind of situation. Ivory roams occasionally at night & I swear to God that she has learned how to say my name! Even J thinks so. It’s really rather strange.
Please do keep us posted. D
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diddy, I must have missed your last comment. It’s funny because Liz was looking on the Internet a few weeks ago, trying to get more specific on what kinds of cats we have. Now I think she thinks Kiev might be a Chantilly/Tiffany; Chaco is closer to a Bombay than a Siamese; and Mr. StripeyPants looks sort of like a Pixie Bob without the Bob!
I’ll have to check with her again on where she landed on these. BTW, Chaco is still stable. Last time we had his vitals checked, he was at the bottom of the normal range of a cat with long-term kidney disease. He’s got a good appetite, is alert, doing pretty well. Still a little underweight so we are still trying to fatten him up. He’s on prescription kidney diet and we give him Sub-Q fluids at least once a week.
BTW, diddy, I am sure Ivory knows how to say your name! I wouldn’t be at all surprised. Our cats get up about 4am and roam the house. Some nights I really want to shoo them back to bed! Cats can be night owls. They like to sleep all day. 8)
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I came back to this post today to say that in a little bit, I am heading over to two of our friends’ house to be there when they put their cat Kaia down. She’s been under the weather for a few months. And after the last trip to the vet last week, they have made the hard decision that it’s time. Kaia, bless her heart, is just tired. They think she may have cancer and she can’t be operated on because she’s too frail and has a weak heart.
We stopped by to visit them last night and spend a little time with Kaia. They got her as a kitten (her sister was Emigre, there were two of them) in about 1992 so I think that makes her about 17 years old. Send prayers this morning as it’s the last day that Kaia will roam the Earth in bodily form. Something about the unconditional love that pets give to humans always makes it so sad to let them go.
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QM, my heart goes out to your friends. The painful decision to have Kaia put down is the right thing to do if the cat is that ill.
How sweet that you & Liz are there for them. I’m certain the tears are flowing & & loss, such as this will be with them forever. We still miss our black lab Ebony, though she has been gone for 12 years now. We had her cremated & her ashes are in our den, but we keep a framed photo of her in the living room.
My thoughts are with all of you today. Please share my sympathy with your friends. D
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[…] out of town. And QM and Liz not too long ago had to contemplate similar decisions when their cat Chaco became seriously ill. Fortunately, Chaco had a near-miraculous […]
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diddy, thanks so much for responding to my comment today. It means a lot. Yes, lots and lots of tears! We went through a huge box of Kleenex and had to grab another one from the bathroom.
Our friends have a framed photograph of Emigre, Kaia’s sister, near the bed where Kaia was resting today before she passed on to the Spirit world. I smiled when I saw it. There were also candles lit and soft music playing.
And it’s amazing how even after 12 years, you remember Ebony like it was yesterday. You just don’t forget the deaths of pets. I think as young kids, too, sometimes a pet is their first introduction to death, the idea that what lives will not be here forever. So much connected to the grieving process. Thanks again, diddy.
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ybonesy, haven’t had much time to catch up on reading on red Ravine today. You won’t believe it, but we had to take Chaco to the vet today. We got home last night from running some errands, Liz noticed that he was breathing funny. I called this morning and we were able to get him in.
They did blood work, took urine, more X-rays, and gave us a referral to the University of Minnesota. He is still in the 20% range for his anemia (still not sure what is causing that) and she did see something that looked odd in his X-Ray. She says a radiologist needs to look at it. He has also lost .4 lb which is worrisome. We had hoped he was gaining. UGH. Well, we’ll keep you posted. It’s one day at a time.
He’s glad to be home and is resting. I’m glad Liz noticed that he wasn’t feeling well last night. He is up and down with the long-term kidney weaknesses so sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of when he’s just feeling a little under the weather, and when we should take him in. I still can’t believe the timing, right after all this with Kaia. But every little bit of experience helps.
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Keeping a log here. We realized yesterday that the vet has the wrong date for Chaco’s birthday — it’s actually March 22nd, 1996 (he just turned 13 years old). They’ve got his birthday mixed up with Mr. StripeyPants. We have to get that corrected!
We called this morning and have an appointment at the U of M tomorrow at 9am. We will have Chaco and X-rays in tow. He’s been resting comfortably today, has been fed a few times, and loved every hour! We’ll make more decisions after his check-up tomorrow. Our vet mentioned putting him on doxycycline, an antibiotic, since he does respond well to antibiotics. More as we know it.
Meanwhile, our friends are feeling kind of numb about Kaia. I checked in with them yesterday and they said they didn’t know if there could possibly be one tear left, they had cried so much. We are checking in with them and keeping close.
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QM, sounds like whatever it is that’s ailing Chaco this time might be even more serious than before. I sure hope it isn’t, but in any event I’ll be (and am) sending you positive thoughts.
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ybonesy, thanks. We just got back from the vet at the U of M not long ago. Also talked to our local vet again this morning. Well, it’s not exactly more serious, but it’s concerning. We got his numbers back and he’s severely dehydrated, his sodium levels are at 180 (result of dehydration), a liver enzyme is elevated, and his kidneys are actually about the same. The low-grade kidney disease may be contributing to the anemia. And those levels are actually okay for him to live comfortably. We are just trying to narrow down why he’s losing weight and is 3-4 % dehydrated. His weight was up a little today to 9.1 lbs., probably from the fluids we’ve been giving him.
Some things the U of M repeated (things we knew from our own vet) were that he’s had muscle loss since he was really sick at the end of last year so is quite skinny. His kidneys are small and looking aged like they would in a middle-aged cat. What’s new is the shape on the X-Ray that the radiologist said might be a hiatal hernia (protrusion of part of the stomach through the diaphragm). But that might not be what’s keeping him from taking in as much water as he needs. So we are debating having the esophagram and fluoroscopy tomorrow to see what’s happening at the other end of his esophagus. There is the possibility of a tumor as well or something with the adrenals.
At this point, we are trying to rule a few things out on the dehydration and increased sodium — why isn’t he able to retain enough water? And why are his electrolytes, sodium, and chloride out of whack? And why is he losing weight when he is ravenously hungry most of the time. The lowgrade kidney disease is something we have to live with. And he can maintain a pretty good quality of life with that unless it worsens. But we want to make sure there’s not something else going on that’s complicating things.
He’s sleeping since we got home. It’s pretty stressful for cats to travel across town like that, all those strange places and people and they don’t generally like cars…they are so different than dogs about leaving home! But he hasn’t eaten yet this afternoon. Just letting him rest. We are to give him 150cc fluids twice a day for a while to get enough water in him and try to get some balance. Will keep you posted as we know more. Very draining… 😦
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UPDATE: Well, we did take Chaco in to the U for an esophagram the next day (Friday, April 10th) and he does have a hiatal hernia — but the good news is he’s had it since birth so that’s not what’s causing some of these problems (though it may affect how fast he can swallow water and food). The doc said with these hernias, really wet food can be a problem or fast drinking of water. So that’s something to watch.
We are also watching something small near his larnynx. It showed up from the esophagram but they could not get a good look. That would take more testing and we’d have to put him under for those tests. For now, we are keeping an eye on it to see if it gets any bigger.
SO, here’s what’s happening — since the U of M trip, we gave Chaco 150cc fluids twice a day for 4 days, then once a day for 3 days. Then we took him back to our own vet last Friday, April 17th, for follow-up bloodwork. His kidney levels and anemia are a bit better but his sodium and chloride levels are still high.
Normal sodium is 145-158. Last time we got him checked his was 180 — it’s now down to 172. Not much of a change.
Normal Chloride levels are 100-128. Last time he was at 144. Now he’s at 135. So there are slight decreases on each of these levels but it’s still pretty high.
Our vet recommended we go to the .45 sodium saline 1000cc Sub-Q bags of fluids when we talked to her last Saturday. The problem is we looked everywhere and they are really hard to come by. We had to order a whole case from the U 0f M (they don’t sell it by the bag).
It came in today and I went and picked up the 14 bags and a few 20 gauge needles. We usually use the 18 gauge but we wanted to try something thinner that might hurt less when we go into his folds of skin. The 18 gauge flow pretty well though. We’ll see how these new needles work.
Liz will be on her own for a few days. I’m going to call a friend and see if she might come over and help her if Chaco gets restless. It’s so much easier to do Sub-Q with two people.
Otherwise, he’s gained weight, up to 9.6 (from 9.2) as of last Friday, April 17th. He’s friskier, looks better, and seems to have more energy now that we’re getting him hydrated. We’ll see if we can get his sodium down. Not sure yet what’s causing that. He’s sleeping in the sun. 8)
I should do these updates more often. Then they wouldn’t be as long!
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QM, I’ve been wondering about chaco’s condition. Glad to hear he’s doing a bit better, at least on some of his health issues. The sodium & chloride levels are a mystery? Does he drink tap water or distilled water? That could be something to check into. I take it the U of M had no idea either? Hmm…
Hope you are able to relax on your writing retreat. I think Mom & P head to Georgia the same day you leave.
Best wishes to you, Liz, & Chaco. D
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Me, too, QM. Glad you left an update. Sounds grueling, all the testing and not really finding the cause. Also, the injections. Yikes. If it didn’t hurt Chaco, it wouldn’t be so bad. But fortunately it seems to be having a positive impact on his weight. That’s a relief. He was sounding so very skinny and weak.
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[…] Gratitude to ybonesy for holding down the fort on red Ravine. Gratitude to Liz for taking care of Chaco while I was gone. Look for more of Kansas City in upcoming […]
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Update on Mr. Chaco. After having his blood tested back on June 2nd and having him get a pretty good bill of health, he took a downturn last night. Three weeks ago, his electrolytes were looking good again and he was feeling pretty good. He still has the anemia and the kidney disease but was really doing as well as could be expected. We were still giving him 150cc of .45 fluids every other day, handfeeding him wet food to help him gain the rest of his weight back. But overall, he was stable.
Then last night, he threw up his food, was straining in the litter box, and drooling from the strain. Then we noticed the blood in his urine and rushed him to the Emergency vet not far away. She said it’s something where his body breaks down his red blood cells, unrelated to the anemia from his kidney infection. If he were a person, he’d be in the ICU and not doing well. The emergency vet did say that she’s seen perfectly healthy cats and dogs come in with this condition — one day they are fine, the next they are on death’s door. And that it’s not something we would have been able to prevent.
Long story short, he’s exhausted and he might just be tired of fighting. And this new condition, along with his kidneys, might be too much for him to overcome. We have a vet appointment later this afternoon. We did spend a lot of time with him last night and this morning, he purred for a bit (motor of the Siamese cat), played a bit, and ate a little. Not looking good though. Will update as I am able.
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This is so sad. I’m sending thoughts and prayers to you and Liz and Chaco.
How mysterious this ailment sounds, and just the fact that healthy animals can show up with this condition—it hits home how fragile life is. And then, given how long Chaco has been fighting to stay alive the past six months, I can see where the condition would be critical in his case.
You and Liz are and have been stellar parents and caretakers to your dear cats. I wish I could be there to take care of you now, when you need it most.
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ybonesy, thanks. It was a rough 48 hours. We had to let Chaco go yesterday. He passed on at 4:41pm. We did spend quality time with him the last 24 hours we were with him. We took turns sitting with him on the couch throughout the night and all day yesterday. He seemed exhausted and tired, but very at peace. I watched the sun come up with him.
I’ll try to write more later in a Memorial post. Or maybe a few of them. But feel too raw today. I’ve only burst into tears once. But can feel another one coming on. After nursing him back to health the last 6 months and seeing him gain his strength back, it was so hard to let him go. But we both knew it was the right thing to do. When people say, “You’ll know when the time is right,” they are right. And we could tell that Chaco knew, too.
Strange day yesterday. We weren’t turned in to the news until after we got home. Then we found out about Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. Life and death…we never know when it will be our time.
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Thanks for checking in about Chaco, QuoinMonkey. You and Liz really took good care of him, with extra doses of TLC the past six months.
I hope you and Liz can both get some good rest this weekend.
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Oh QM, I’m so sorry to hear the news about Chaco’s passing. I’m thinking of you & Liz. You both did all you could to care for Chaco. I know too well how difficult it is to lose a beloved pet.
Much love & my deapest sympathy. D
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Teri & diddy, thanks so much for your kind words. It’s been a strange day. I think the other two cats, Mr. StripeyPants and Kiev have kind of been grieving, too. They haven’t come out of the bedroom all day today. Really odd for Pants to not come out and play with his ball in the living room. When we got home last night, we let them smell the blanket and pillow that Chaco had been on to help them transition. I think it had an impact on them. Those who know grief say you should talk to the remaining animals about the loss of their buddy. Especially if they all grew up together like these three cats. Our friends have said that one of their cats in particularly, Gracie, really missed Kaia (they had to let her go this year, too). I’m still kind of numb. Liz will be home from work soon. A movie might be in order.
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What a surreal 48 hours these must be, QM. If I am saddened as I am by the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, I can only imagine that you and Liz are steeped in grief. And although it shouldn’t be, it seems amazing that Pants and Kiev are also so affected. Of course they are. Bless their hearts.
Good-bye, dear Chaco. You were a gorgeous creature, and you brought so much love to my friends.
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QM, I meant to tell you. On Facebook yesterday, I noticed a couple of times where people had referred to the “Law of Threes” [LINK] — Michael, Farrah, and Ed McMahon. Well, I also thought of the law, except I was thinking Michael, Farrah, Chaco. A numbing day, for sure.
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Oh, QM, I’m so sorry for the loss of dear Chaco. Take the time you need to steep yourself in the love and memories of life with your dear friend … and to grieve the loss of such sweetness.
My thoughts are with you and my love.
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QM: Your heart is broken. There’s an empty spot. Feels awful. There is no right way to grieve losing a beloved as special as Chaco, particularly after a long period of caregiving.
I am so sorry. I will place Chaco’s name on the altar of my beloved feline companion, Isaac. Rest in peace, dear Chaco, sweet and loyal companion.
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QM, it’s so true about the other animals experiencing the loss. When Ebony passed many years ago our one cat Maggie laid beside her & it broke my heart to see that. They were buddies & Maggie grieved with both J & myself. It takes a long time to get over the loss of a beloved pet. J & I were heartbroken & still are. Ebony was was an awesome dog & she & Maggie shared a very special love. Your grief will last for awhile. RIP Chaco. D
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Thank you so much ybonesy, Flannista, breathepeace, diddy. It’s true…our hearts are broken. Keep seeing flashes of Chaco in the memory’s eye. We did get out of the house yesterday to go to Pride. Today we are going to go out and dig in the dirt, always good for getting back to basics and grounding.
Ironically, Liz had gotten this book called: Grieving the Death of a Pet by Betty J. Carmack for Gail and Susan when they had to let their cat Kaia go a few months ago. We borrowed it back from them and it’s helpful. We have done a lot of things right with Chaco, in life and in the hard decision of his death.
Such a sweet boy he was. We will probably pick up his ashes this week. I think it just takes a while to fill the hole that is left. The other two cats have been especially clingy and we’ve been giving them lots of attention. Chaco’s blanket is still on the bed. I think it helps them.
Thanks to all of our friends (in person and blog friends) for your kind words, phone calls, thoughts. We really appreciate it. I’ll try to work up to a future post. See what comes.
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Glad you are able to dig into the dirt today. That is grounding and healing. And being a part of the celebration of Pride. That sounds uplifting in a time of sadness.
It’s good to hear from you on the blog, QM, and to see your Twitter updates. Have a good day gardening.
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[…] Script: Can’t seem to get moving this week. After we had to let Chaco go last Thursday, the only thing that seems to sooth me is Nature. Hence, the American Green Tree Frog. On Summer […]
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I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your kitty companion.
I don’t know what else to say. I’ve been through it twice in the last two years and I know it is completely heart-breaking.
My thoughts are with you.
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LazyBuddhist, twice in the last few years sounds grueling. I know Liz and I are all paranoid about our other two cats now. Kiev is 14 and just got a clean bill of health. Mr. StripeyPants is 12 and needs to go in for his yearly check-up. Kiev is rarely sick. Pants was sick pretty bad about a year ago but has been fine since. (Knock on wood.)
Thanks so much for stopping by. I sure hope we don’t have to put another animal down for a very long time. It really is just heartbreaking. You hope that they’ll go in their sleep but that rarely happens. And it’s too cruel to keep them on after their health deteriorates. Hard decisions.
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Update: After I wrote yesterday about not getting Chaco’s ashes back yet (see comment in Life of an American Green Tree Frog in link above), the vet called within the hour. So Liz and I went and picked up Chaco’s ashes yesterday.
We teared up a little in the vet’s office and so did the vet tech. They had really gotten to know Chaco over the last 6 months. His ashes were in a little box inside a black bag that had “Until we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge” embroidered on the outside of it. There is also a cremation certificate. He’s sitting in the bedroom. 8) At least until we decide when to have the Memorial.
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QM, your comment about Chaco sitting in the bedroom made me wonder, where was his favorite spot in the house to sit? Was it in the bedroom?
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[…] to posts: Chaco’s Creature Comforts (10 Cat Care Tips), From The Earth, Back To The Earth , Winter Solstice — The Quiet Strength Of Bear, Life Of An […]
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good job done guys… very nice blog…. very interesting and knowledgeble…
many years ago our one cat Maggie laid beside her & it broke my heart to see that. They were buddies & Maggie grieved with both J & myself. It takes a long time to get over the loss of a beloved pet. J & I were heartbroken & still are.
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care for cat, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comment. It’s been a process for us with Chaco. And it does get better as time goes on. I still get a little jolt when I see a photo of him though.
ybonesy, Chaco did spend a lot of time in the bedroom. During the day, he slept on the bed with Kiev. At night, he was a Night Owl. He would hang out on the back of the couch in the living room and keep watch outside. Liz and I always called him the Guardian Cat. 8)
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Been thinking of Chaco a lot as the anniversary date gets closer. Wanted to revisit this post tonight, see a few photos of him. We still miss him.
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One of the values of this blog is that it marks time for us in our lives. Seeing that top photo of Chaco brought back memories of him and how much and you and Liz worked to keep him comfortable through the end of his life.
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ybonesy, thank you. It seems like so long ago when we were giving Chaco Sub-Q fluids every night. I read on FB that Lori lost her cat this week. She had kidney disease and they had been giving her Sub-Q for 8 years. I remember after some of the grief had passed with Chaco, Liz and I realized how much energy it took to care for a chronically ill pet. Yet, we would not have had it any other way. Pets are part of the family.
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A poem for Chaco from Charles Bukowski’s book from 2001, the night torn with mad footsteps: new poems:
cats and you and me
the Egyptians loved the cat
were often entombed with it
instead of with the child
and never with the dog.
and now
here
good people with
the souls of cats
are very few
yet here and now many
fine cats
with great style
lounge about
in the alleys of
the universe.
about
our argument tonight
whatever it was
about
and
no matter
how unhappy
it made us
feel
remember that
there is a
cat
somewhere
adjusting to the
space of itself
with a calm
and delightful
ease.
in other words
magic persists with
or without us
no matter how
we may try to
destroy it
and I would
destroy the last chance for
myself
that this might always
continue.
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[…] to posts: Chaco’s Creature Comforts (10 Cat Care Tips), From The Earth, Back To The Earth , Winter Solstice — The Quiet Strength Of Bear, Life Of An […]
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