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Post by htmb on Jun 6, 2014 16:51:47 GMT
Yes, it can certainly be very hard for awhile, especially when those moments hit. It's been 9 months since my cat died and I still occasionally think of here when I come home from work. She used to greet me at the door with a loud cry for her dinner.
When I had my cat euthanized the vet came to my home. My oldest daughter, along with her daughters, ages 5 and 7, retrieved the body. They buried my cat in the corner of their yard where they have also buried their own cat and two chickens.
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Post by htmb on Jun 6, 2014 16:52:21 GMT
Yes, it can certainly be very hard for awhile, especially when those moments hit. It's been 9 months since my cat died and I still occasionally think of here when I come home from work. She used to greet me at the door with a loud cry for her dinner.
When I had my cat euthanized the vet came to my home. My oldest daughter, along with her daughters, ages 5 and 7, retrieved the body. They buried my cat in the corner of their yard where they have also buried their own cat and two chickens.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2014 21:21:07 GMT
No pet in my family ever died at home. They were all taken to the vet for that. Either my parents were heartless or completely pragmatic. In any case, my brother and I were always informed of the decision, and I remember always understanding that "getting a shot" was better than "suffering."
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Post by mich64 on Jun 7, 2014 14:32:17 GMT
Yes, having the Vet give them a needle is probably the humane thing to do, making the decision when to end a life is the hardest thing I have ever had to do.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2014 17:46:07 GMT
The reaction and behavior of the other animals in our home bears noting. Although most cats are fairly aloof and go on about their own business, their presence and sudden abscence causes a reaction. This makes it both trying and emotional, at the same time comforting that the environment we have is so safe and capable of them being able to grieve. I have no other way of expressing this, I'm sorry. Upon preview, this a mess of a post.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2014 5:08:14 GMT
Yes, I know that other family animals are -- even though it is just our own interpretation without being able to interview them -- restless, worried, upset... when one of their daily companions or rivals is suddenly not there anymore, probably even more so if a feeding or water bowl disappears at the same time.
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Post by lagatta on Jul 7, 2014 13:02:42 GMT
Well, Renzo is an only cat. When he was younger, he was an extraordinary hunter. Mice mostly. Fortunately he never brought me any songbirds.
He is getting quite thin, especially in his hindquarters. And sometimes starts screaming in the middle of the night, which of course awakes me immediately, not as much out of alarm as because I don't want problems with the neighbours. Healthy appetite though, although he is very picky about his dry food. I also give him some plain chicken or turkey parts when I cook those.
I do get the impression that he won't be around very much longer.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2014 13:36:40 GMT
That will be very sad day since he is such a long time companion. I suppose that knowing that it is coming helps to prepare for it somewhat, but it is always a terrible shock.
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Post by lagatta on Jul 7, 2014 15:23:40 GMT
Yes, I've lived longer with Renzo than with any other sentient being; human family, friend or lover, or other beastie friend. Moreover, he is a Siamese cross, and Siamese have quite the personality (I think the fact that he is also half gutter cat means he is a bit more "stable" than purebred Siamese).
A vet friend in another city wrote back this morning, reassuring me. Although she is a vet, her cats have all lasted a bit less than Renzo's lifespan so far, and she has a 13-year-old who is slipping.
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Post by mich64 on Jul 7, 2014 15:36:32 GMT
So sorry to read about Renzo Lagatta. I know how much happiness and love you give each other.
My brother-in-law brought his beautiful Shep over yesterday and it feels so good to have a dog in the house even if it is for a few hours. He already knows where the cookie drawer is. I found it interesting that this is the first year that we have had deer on the property eating many of our plants in the gardens but since Shep has been by a few times and peeing all over the place, the deer have stopped coming again.
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Post by lagatta on Jul 8, 2014 0:20:18 GMT
Of course after another crisis, Renzo has perked up again. (I was at Supermarché Milano just before closing time and they had a half "grain fed" - more or less "fermier"- roast chicken for $4; I couldn't resist).
He has so much "gusto", or "joie de vivre", but he is a very old and somewhat shrunken little tomcat.
Mich, I'm glad the deer got the Shep repellent. I know that it is painful, but will you get another dog?
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Post by mich64 on Jul 8, 2014 15:02:04 GMT
I am so happy to read that Renzo had a good day!
No, I do not believe we will ever adopt another dog, but we will always look after our family or friends dogs when they want or need to travel. We get a lot of enjoyment from that. There will always be treats in the drawer.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2014 22:43:47 GMT
Older cats do slow down just as us humans do. Someone told me that a sure sign of their days being numbered is when they stop grooming themselves. This happened with Grazie along with becoming incontinent. Clearly going into renal failure and very difficult for both he and us. Our 23 year old cat Rosalie on the other hand has indeed slowed down and yowls a bit more but still seems to have all her faculties.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 19, 2014 14:45:50 GMT
Really, really sorry to hear about dear Grazie, Casimira. My little princess Darla had a freak mishap. She bounced downstairs normally on Sunday morning a week ago, but shortly afterward I noticed she was trembling & glassy-eyed. Then, when she tried to move, her right back leg wouldn't work. Very shortly afterward, both back legs were useless. I gave her a canine anti-inflammatory & put in a call from the veterinarian, who said to observe her for 24 hours. The next day there was no change, so off Darla went to the vet's office so she could be x-rayed. (no animal MRI available in Oaxaca) The pictures showed slight damage to two lower vertebrae. Because she had twin abrasions on the insides of her back legs at knee level, we conjecture that she slipped while atop one of the low ornamental walls in the park, straddling it at the end portion & thus injuring her back. The concrete walls are @20 cm wide and 25-30 cm high, ending in a broad >. She wound up spending a week at the vet's, receiving neural injections and other treatment. The lovely vet brought her home Sunday morning to this improvised hospital room. There is a little black dog under the blue towel:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2014 16:33:24 GMT
Comfy! The dish racks are a nice substitute for prison bars. Hope Darla is feeling better now.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2014 17:02:55 GMT
Pets are like aging parents with Alzheimer's -- when they hurt themselves or are not feeling well, they can't even tell you what is wrong. I hate that!
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 19, 2014 17:31:04 GMT
So true, & yet we persist in asking. Thanks, Lizzy. She is improving by leaps & bounds. She actually frisked about this morning, although that needs to be kept to a minimum.
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Post by lagatta on Aug 20, 2014 13:00:21 GMT
Oh, I'm so relieved that she is somewhat better! I love little Darla.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 23, 2014 4:47:06 GMT
Awww, THANK you, LaGatta! She sends thanks as well & says to say hello to Renzo.
Re: "somewhat better" ~~ she is too much better in the sense I don't know what to do with her. I had to leave today for a while, so shored up her hospital area with another wedged chair. The corners have already been reinforced with wood & twine. Anyway, when I got home she was out & she had to have leaped to get out. When I took the boys for their walk, I shut her up in the little downstairs bathroom, where she unrolled the toilet paper & spilled all of her water onto the bedding set down for her.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2014 11:56:05 GMT
I am so distraught about this I don't even know where to begin...
Our now 24 year old cat Rosalie as you can well imagine has slowed down a bit and lately she has been demonstrating some signs of senility. (Do cats get Alzheimer's, I don't know) She has been eating and eliminating in a normal manner, able to walk around but, (and, this has always been her mode) sticks close to the fort, in the winter, inside near the heater, and, during warmer weather goes out to the breezeway which is a covered type of porch sitting area where she lies on a small foot trunk that I have some cotton rugs placed on, along with her food and water bowl and a litter box.
She never leaves the premises to wander as my other cats have done.
Last week however, my husband, returning from a walk with our dog found her on the sidewalk outside the front gate. We were worried at first and kept her confined in the house for a couple of days. She was positively miserable, crying at the door, (I also had closed the cat door),so , we decided we would allow her to go out onto the breezeway. She hung out there and we monitored her fairly closely.
Then, on Monday late afternoon, she apparently wandered back out, and got as far as a house or so away walking on the sidewalk. A neighbor of ours from across the street saw a car stop with a couple in it and saw them go and pick up Rosalie and drive off. This particular neighbor who hasn't lived here very long was not familiar with Rosalie so he did not intervene or pursue them. It wasn't until we inquired after any Rosalie sightings that we learned of this yesterday morning.
And so my distress at what and where these people did with Rosalie. She is very decrepit looking, so, they may have felt sorry for her and thought they were rescuing her. But, without inquiring at any of the nearby homes to just whisk her away has me totally perplexed. She certainly is not the type of cat one would bring home to the kids.
I spent most of the day yesterday posting signs and putting notices on line with various websites and this morning my husband plan to go to the animal shelters to see if they have her.
I am so distraught, I know she is going to be miserable outside of her comfort zone, she is not a super friendly and would not hesitate to scratch or bite someone someone she doesn't know. Needless to say, after 24 years, she is a beloved member of our family.
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Post by lagatta on Oct 22, 2014 12:52:31 GMT
Oh dear, I hope you find Rosalie. Poor old dearie.
Yes, cats and dogs can also develop dementia. Remember, that like humans, they are living to be very elderly in much greater numbers than even a few decades ago.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2014 14:03:31 GMT
Oh, that is a terrible thing to worry about, but at least anybody who stops to pick up an old confused cat is almost certainly trying to do their best to help. Let's hope they don't live too far away.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2014 14:31:05 GMT
Well, for starters, I don't know that she is nearby... What gives me some comfort is that we at least know that she was seen still alive and not smashed in the middle of the street or having to continue our search looking under neighbor's houses with flashlights is of some relief.
The fact that people would pick up a cat, without inquiring about the animal within the immediate neighborhood totally perplexes me.
I keep an extra dog leash in my car in case I see a stray dog wandering, lost, etc. and have had good results. But, with cats, it's a totally different story. Most urban areas have colonies or solo stray cats and there are multiple persons, groups that either trap and have them neutered, and in many cases adopt them. To pick up a decrepit cat on the sidewalk and whisk it away is bizarre.
I'm only thinking about how miserable she must be, and how after 24 years her end will come in great discomfort.
We have been prepared for quite sometime that her days were numbered, but, for it to be in misery at the hand of strangers is most disconcerting.
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Post by mich64 on Oct 22, 2014 14:31:40 GMT
Oh my! I can imagine how distressing this is for you both Casi.
My hope is they dropped her off at a shelter nearby. I do not understand why anyone would take her.
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Post by mich64 on Oct 22, 2014 15:06:04 GMT
Casi are the shelters their operated by the City or private? Perhaps they have a network amongst them and by providing them Rosalie's description they can disperse the search city wide for her.
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Post by htmb on Oct 22, 2014 17:29:02 GMT
This is very upsetting. I hope you get word of her soon.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2014 12:02:40 GMT
Thank you good people for your kind words and well wishes.
We have exhausted every possible resource available. We went to all the shelters in both Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, every veterinary clinic in the immediate area, posted online on several websites, put up signs on telephone poles and bulletin boards.
At this point in time, after almost 72 hours, I do not anticipate that we will ever see Rosalie again.
I am heartsick that she will not be able to live out her last days in the comfort of her own home.
It hit pretty hard seeing her empty bowl this morning and her not being at my feet waiting for her breakfast.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2014 18:34:29 GMT
I never took into account or imagined that there were so many black cats here. My email box and mobile phone have been non-stop with kind people saying they may have seen our Rosalie. We checked out a few but then I realized that she has a distinguishing feature much like people who have a tattoo. On her forehead she has a dime sized basal cell carcinoma that's benign. It's kind of like third eye, and resembles a large mole. When it first appeared many, many years ago we took her to the vet and had a biopsy. The vet told us that given her age it would be too risky to remove it and it would bother us more than her, so we should just leave it be which we did.
I am heartened by how many people out there who have responded.
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Post by lagatta on Oct 25, 2014 19:01:47 GMT
I'm glad, casi. I don't stop thinking about Rosalie. Renzo is also black, though he has a little bit of white.
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Post by lagatta on Feb 4, 2015 19:06:53 GMT
Renzo has been peeing a lot lately - there is really nothing but congealed pee (clumping litter) and the odd little turd in my trash. Food scraps are composted now in my neighbourhood.
I could take him to the vet's, but they'd just tell me he has renal failure, which I know. Still has a good appetite - and isn't incontinent. I guess I just have to observe him, and see how much longer he will be happy to be alive.
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