Lost a friend today

[Mitchell Andrus]

Dax, a spirited Tabby, 15 years old. Cats stop eating, loose weight and decline pretty quickly when there's something's wrong.

I laid my friend down just a few weeks after finding a tumor in his lung. Getting scrawny, but not yet in pain or unable to purr and fall asleep in my lap, walk or enjoy a bit of paper at the end of a string.

MY cat - he owned me good and solid.

Lap warmer
Table scraps begger
Face licker
Finger biter - often drew blood, we fought for the title 'Supreme Emperor of the Universe', so....
Alarm clock
Sun dial

When I picked him out at the shelter as a kitten, he ran up and bit my finger through the cage. I knew right then........
.

[Lee Schierer]

I feel your pain. We had to put our cat George asleep just a couple of weeks ago following kidney failure. He was a great cat and probably was a shortstop in a previous life as he never missed pompoms flicked across the room at a height of 3-4 feet above the floor. He would snag them out of the air with one paw, land and wait for you to shoot another his way. He had an uncanny ability to get on and off the headboard of the bed to/from the ground on my side of the bed in the middle of the night and never once hit my head. You also didn't sleep in if his dish was empty.

[jeremy levine]

I had cats all my life (all from shelters, give aways or found abandoned) . Each one unique. I feel your pain. 15 years is a long life. Be a hero rescue another cat from the shelter. Your cat would understand.:)

[Rob Russell]

Mitchell,

Been there, done that. It's hard.



You also didn't sleep in if his dish was empty.

Man, is that ever true. Our 13-year old is borderline diabetic, but he's also a chow-hound. We can't just leave dry food down for him because he'd binge on it. I've been getting up early to bicycle into work ... he's now decided that the first part of his breakfast is due somewhere around 3:30AM. Why is it that he's "my wife's cat", but I'm the one who has to get up and feed him?:rolleyes:

[Ron Jones near Indy]

You have my sympathy. We lost our cat 3 months ago. We all miss her. Remember the good times Mitchell. He wouldn't want it any other way.

[Sean Troy]

Sorry to hear of your loss.

[Gary Herrmann]

Sorry to hear that, Mitchell. I used to think I wasn't a cat person. I had dogs all my life. Still do. Then we rescued two litter mates a year ago. They're not dogs, but they're still pretty cute - and affectionate, when the mood strikes them.

[Clara Koss]

i am really sorry... i know you were a good "human" and that kitty had trained you well...it's funny, cats don't have facial expressions like dogs but they can make you obey them with their eyes!!!!...my cat, miss mimi is twenty and we almost lost her last month...so we know time may be short...she loves to drink cold water out of a glass and her favorite place is a pillow in front of the fridge where the warm air blows out...i hope you will look for another kitty to train you again...

[Doug Shepard]

Got one on my lap as I type this one-handed while I attend to her needs with the other. The other is waiting for the dog's last trip outside for the evening, after which he and the dog get couch time with me in the middle and both hands working. Sometime's I wonder who the boss is. Sorry to hear about losing your friend. Been there twice with cats and I dont like to think about losing any of my current crew - even the one sometimes referred to as the Cat From Hell.

[Jim O'Dell]

Sorry to hear of your loss, Mitchell. I fully understand how you feel as we put down one of our 13+ year old Irish Setter litter mates...that we bred and whelped...just this Monday. I balled like a baby. They are so loving and honest with us. I know we are both better for having these animals grace our lives. May the shamrocks fall softly... Jim.

[Mitchell Andrus]

imy cat, miss mimi is twenty and we

20 - wow. I've had 2 get up to 19 and lost one of them when I was 20, she raised me.

[Jim Becker]

Sorry to hear about your loss, Mitchell.

[James Stokes]

I too am sorry for your loss. I am a cat person my self.
I have an old cat my self, He is 18. I have had him all of his life. About 9 years ago he started to get lesions in his mouth. I took him to the vet who diagnosed him with FIV and told me I should probably just go ahead and put him to sleep. I was not about to do that because his mouth hurt. He ended up after about 2 years getting all of his teth pulled, Had laser treatments on his gums every 3 months for that 2 years and I had to spoon feed him for that 2 years. But I got him over all of that and he has been healthy ever since. Now his age is starting to show and I know he will not last a whole lot longer. I really do not know how I will take it when he does go. It will be extremely tough. In the last several years I have been bed ridden several times, He has allways stayed right there with me.

[Mitchell Andrus]

I understand completely, I've had a few hard-luck cases over the years. How do they get in so incredibly deep and kidnap your soul? Hug him for me and Dax.


I had about 3 weeks to say goodbye. I then picked a day that left him with some dignity. He wasn't yet in pain, could play, drink from the toilet and was still able to enjoy a good brushing. He was hopelessly frail for not eating enough, but not yet a hollow wreck. I think some people wait too long.

I would have been happy with more time, but I'd have caused him to be miserable. It would have been a lopsided ending serving only my needs.



When my turn comes, I hope I get the same consideration - and I've said so many, many times to those most likely to wait too long. I tell them if they pull the plug and I can't plug it back in, leave it out. Sounds like a funny visual and it gets the topic started at the table, but I'm serious.